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Manoj dares ministry to take away award
Jan 08, 2001, 18:15 Hrs (IST)

New Delhi: Former cricket all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar, banned for five years from the game, on Monday dared Union sports ministry to take away his Arjuna award, which was bestowed on him in 1998.

''Take away the award and face the consequence,'' Manoj said in a letter to the sports ministry and added that he will go to the court if government takes any such drastic step.

''The award was given to me for my achievements on the field and I have done nothing wrong on the field to be deprived of the award,'' he told UNI.

Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Special Commissioner K Madhavan has also said, "During my playing days I was not involved in any scandal. I don't know why I am being clubbed with Ajay Jadeja who is still playing."

Manoj said he had received a letter from the ministry saying, "You may" appear before the joint secretary to give your view on the match-fixing scandal. According to the former all-rounder nowhere in the letter it was said that "I have to appear".

He claimed the letter from the ministry said, ''It wishes to give you an opportunity to present your case as why the Arjuna award should not be taken away from you.''

''I did not go to meet the joint secretary on Monday. My views are already well known, I have other things to do. How many times should I keep meeting the officials about the same topic.

''I have written to the ministry giving my point of view, it is the same statement which I have given to the BCCI and Mr K Madhavan"

The player-turned-businessman, who blew the whistle on match-fixing scandal three years ago, was to meet the joint secretary sports this morning but he did not turn up at Shastri Bhawan.

Prabhakar, in a letter to the ministry said he had already appeared before the CBI and Mr Madhavan. Prabhakar claimed that this was not the way to treat cricketers who had served the country for many years, and that there was no point in appearing before the sports ministry officials again.

However, sports ministry officials asserted that they had not received anything in writing so far from Prabhakar. "As of now, there is no reply from Manoj Prabhakar.''

UNI