Trading body threatens nationwide strike if Govt doesn't stop Dream11 from sponsoring IPL 2020

Trading body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has sought the sports ministry’s intervention for cancellation of Dream11 as the official title sponsor for IPL 2020 citing the fantasy sports platform’s stake in Chinese firm Tencent Global.

In a letter to Union minister Kiren Rijiju, a copy of which is with BW Businessworld, CAIT National President B C Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal have said: “The issue of granting title sponsorship of IPL to Dream11, which has a substantial stake in Chinese company Tencent Global, is an attempt to thwart the "Vocal for Local" and "Atmnirbhar Bharat" clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also contradict various steps aggressively taken by the government to restrict participation of Chinese companies in various infrastructure projects including that of Railways and Highways as also the imposing of ban on Chinese apps.”

According to CAIT such contradiction will give a wrong signal that on one hand while the government is taking important steps to liberate itself from the vicious circle of Chinese companies, on the other hand, BCCI is entirely dependent upon Chinese companies as after VIVO, Dream11 is the second company which has a major Chinese investment. 

Speaking to BW Businessworld, Khandelwal said, "We plan to do a nationwide strike if our demands are not met."

“Taking this as a mandate, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) that is in forefront for boycott of Chinese goods in India, has today sent a letter to Union Sports Minister Mr. Kiren Rijiju urged his immediate intervention in the matter and called upon BCCI to defer sponsorship of Dream11,” added Khandelwal.

Both Bhartia and Khandelwal further said that the Board for Control of Cricket in India ( BCCI) had earlier this month decided to retain Chinese handset maker Vivo as the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League 2020 to be held in Dubai but cancelled the contract due to the strong objections raised by the CAIT and others in view of the strong anti-China sentiments prevailing in the country.

“To utter shock and dismay, the BCCI has once again hoodwinked the people of India and awarded the contract to online gaming company Dream 11 which also has Chinese investor Tencent Global as one of its major stakeholders. This sheer insensitive behaviour of the BCCI is indicative of the fact that the earlier decision to stop Vivo was a mere eyewash and the BCCI in fact has absolutely no sympathies with the Indian soldiers and does not respect the sentiments of the Indian citizens,” CAIT has said in the letter.

In its letter to Rijiju, CAIT has urged for immediate intervention in this matter which is of great importance to the pride and sovereignty of our nation and directed the BCCI to cancel the contract awarded to Dream11 and give it to a company that is completely free from any sort of Chinese involvement. It would best suit the BCCI to award the contract to a purely Indian company to send a very strong message to the whole world that India is now truly Vocal for Local and absolutely not dependent on any company which has direct or indirect stake in any Chinese individual, organisation or company.