IPL 2021: Plea filed in Delhi High Court to stop the tournament amidst COVID-19 pandemic

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court asking for the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be stopped on an immediate basis even as India grapple through the COVID-19 pandemic. The petition asked for an enquiry as to why the IPL is being prioritised over public health. Hence, it has asked the BCCI and DDCA to put a halt to the tournament, keeping in mind the current scenario.

Advocate Karan Singh Thukral and social activist Inder Mohan Singh filed the plea. Thukral is presently in the grip of COVID-19 and is distressed to see the happenings in the coronavirus pandemic. He also slammed the entire medical system for not being able to stand up in crisis.

“Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction directing the Respondent(s) to held an enquiry as to why the IPL is being prioritized over the Public Health,” the plea said.

Kirti Azad also calls for IPL 2021 to be stopped

Earlier, Kirti Azad, the former Indian cricketer, also wanted the BCCI to pull the plug on the 2021 IPL. His comments came after members of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), reportedly, tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Azad was a tad dejected to see the cases emerging despite the players staying in the bio-security bubble, created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“I thought they were in a bubble and safe from everything and entertaining cricket lovers and the country. It’s very unfortunate that you are getting Corona positive cases being in a bubble. Obviously, that means, there has been a security lapse. So, it’s really appalling that this is how things are going at the moment. If this is the case that came out. It should be stopped,” Azad said.

On Monday, May 3, the match between the Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad also had to be rescheduled. In a recent development, the BCCI is also learned to shift the entirety of the IPL to Mumbai to reduce the COVID-19 risks. However, an official announcement regarding the same is still awaited.