A mob accusing IPL of allowing only fair-complexioned people at its parties gate-crashed into an IPL party in ITC Gardenia hotel, Bangalore, and once pacified, joined in the revelry, reports Bangalore Mirror.
About 20 men gatecrashed the after-party hall on Saturday, abused IPL chairman Lalit Modi, and later helped themselves to his hospitality.
Claiming to be members of a Kannada organisation, they barged into ITC Gardenia, screaming that the party hosts were discriminating against dark-skinned people.
Around midnight, cricketers Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, and scores of other players walked in. After a while, an aggressive group entered Mysore Hall, where the party was on.
An eyewitness said: “They started banging on the tables, and said foul things about the organisers, especially Lalit Modi.”
The group called out to him, “Ey Modi, aache baro” (Modi, just come out, we'll show you). Many guests, models and cricketers were shocked; they didn't know what was happening as they couldn't understand any Kannada. Only fair-skinned North Indians are let in at the parties, and not Kannadigas, the group alleged. IPL has hired bouncers from Mumbai, who couldn't do much to counter the arguments.
An eyewitness said: “If the bouncers had been from Karnataka they could have handled the mob better... this is a group that has created such situations near pubs and lounge bars before.”
Earlier, upmarket hang-outs such as Athena, Leela Palace, Fuga and Sutra have witnessed such unruly scenes.
IPL security and the guards of ITC Gardenia could do nothing to control the mob, or throw them out. “Some guests and cricketers walked out.
On seeing the situation going out of control, Lalit Modi came out and started talking to the leaders of the group,” the eyewitness said.
Modi pacified the group, saying their allegations were wrong and that he had great respect for Kannadigas.
“He even went to the extent of sharing his personal contact number with them, and asked them to call him if they needed tickets for any IPL match anywhere in India,” said the eyewitness. The group then joined in the party.
Spectators in the posh P4 and P5 galleries at Chinnaswamy stadium get unlimited food and booze. Premium Kingfisher products were on offer in the hospitality area.
During the second half of the RCB vs KKR match, when Rahul Dravid and Robin Uthappa were hitting sixes and fours, some tipplers tried to tease the cheer leaders and block the view of other spectators.
The family crowd, with young and teenage children, was scandalised. “The IPL security failed. DCP G Ramesh had to intervene and drag the drunks out of the stadium,” an eyewitness said.
