XtraTime Correspondent: The combat between The All India Football Federation and Minerva Punjab takes a dramatic turn, as the former I-League champions is preparing for a “forced shut down” of their club. After a series of tweets against the ruling body of Indian football, Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj also brought allegations of clear “sabotage” against the parent body of Indian football.
Bajaj told xtratime.in, “This has been a clear case of sabotage by the AIFF. We have still five AFC Cup matches to be played at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. Now all of a sudden they are saying that we don’t have the permission to play there and as we have already played the first game against Chennaiyin FC, we don’t have the time to go for a new venue.”
Earlier in a tweet, the Minerva Owner wrote, “60 crores defamation suit / then cancelling our @AFCCup permission using the girls WC 2020 u17 as a excuse as Kalinga might be used as a possible venue so renovation required – smells of clear utter bias and trying to suppress me for exposing FSDL RELIANCE AIFF UNHOLY NEXUS.”
60 crores defamation suit / then cancelling our @AFCCup permission using the girls WC 2020 u 17 as a excuse as Kalinga might be used as a possible venue so renovation required – smells of clear utter bias and trying to suppress me for exposing FSDL RELIANCE AIFF UNHOLY NEXUS???
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) April 5, 2019
My wife @Hennasing & I had devoted our entire lives24/7 to the betterment of @IndianFootball & were willing to do the same for the rest of our lives – but can’t keep fighting such huge behemoths & federations who will go to every extent to make your life a living hell ????
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) April 5, 2019
AIFF & FSDL RELIANCE Congratulations on a job well done – from everyone @minervapunjabfc & all clubs who have shut down because of you ??????????
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) April 5, 2019
With a very heavy heart ? today I have decided that @minervapunjabfc will have to do what so many others have done/CHAMPIONS of @ILeagueOfficial for 2018-19 for SENIORS/Under 13/ under 15 /under 18 – SIX TITLES(4 years) 60 plus boys to various Indian teams is going to shut?
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) April 5, 2019
Sadly it’s crystal clear that instead of trying to promote football in INDIA /AIFF Along with FSDL RELIANCE is trying to kill all football which they can’t own/this low blow of getting odsiha govt to cancel the stadium booking after @AFCCup has started Is shameful ??????
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) April 5, 2019
After being champions playing in the @AFCCup was our right @minervapunjabfc but came to know who that it’s AIFF &(FSDL)who has got our permission cancelled -ODISHA sports dept is saying talk to them-I am shattered that my own parent body is sabotaging our afc stadium ???
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) April 5, 2019
We @minervapunjabfc cannot change venue now it’s too late & will be disqualified from @AFCCup / all permissions were given well in advance – please help??? @Naveen_Odisha @CMO_Odisha
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) April 5, 2019
In an interaction with XtraTime, Bajaj also told, “When I spoke to the I-League CEO Sunanda Dhar and told him if it continues, we will have no way but to shut down the club. In reply, his response was, if you shut down, it will be there on the newspapers for a couple of days and then people will forget.”
Bajaj also threatened, “There is no point of holding back. I will make it an international issue through The AFC. I will try and speak to the Odisha Government once more to make him realize the issue to support us.”
In the last couple of decades, Indian football have seen so many clubs to shut down like, Mahindra, Pune FC, JCT, Dempo, Salgaocar and so on, it is to see if Minerva too follow the tragic trend of those famous clubs.