'Srinivasan, go out honourably or exit unceremoniously'

Beleaguered BCCI president N Srinivasan will eventually have to step down, as the choice before him is to go out honourably or exit unceremoniously in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing scandal, former Board secretary Jaywant Lele said on Thursday.

"Mr Srinivasan has no option except to resign on moral grounds. It's his responsibility to resign. He has no right to continue," Lele said.

Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan has been arrested by the Mumbai police on charges of betting and passing on team information during the Indian Premier League games while being the principal owner of the Chennai Super Kings franchise. He is currently in police custody.

Though the BCCI chief has dug in his heels, saying repeatedly that he personally has done nothing wrong and the entire Board supports him, pressure is mounting on him to quit from within and outside, including the Sports Ministry, over the last few days.

"If he resigns he will go out honourably, and if he does not he will have to go out unceremoniously," said Lele.

The ex-secretary said all the BCCI needs is that 10 full members of the Board should make a written submission to convene a Special General Meeting with one point agenda (removal of Srinivasan).

"As per the BCCI constitution, at least ten full members have to requisition it and he would then have no option but to convene it (the meeting)," said Lele, when it was pointed out that the BCCI president seems to possess the powers to stall such a meet.

To impeach the BCCI chief, a 3/4th majority of the full members present and voting is needed.

The BCCI has 30 full members comprising seven units from North Zone, six each from South, East and West and five from Central. The Board also has three associate and as many affiliate members, but they have no voting power.

The chairman of the meeting has one casting vote at his disposal.

Photograph: Ritam Banerjee/Getty Images