Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray stated that the Indian Premier League (IPL) should not be banished in spite of the arguments surrounding it.

"Such scams will happen in any field, be it politics or cricket," said Raj, referring to financial misdeeds being investigates in the purchase of IPL dealerships.

He added that many brilliant cricketers have got a chance to showcase their talents on this platform and banning IPL is definitely not the answer.

Thackeray, however, criticized the agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, and a top official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), for not accepting responsibility for the chaos.

"Pawar should not be saying he is unaware of the scam," he said. "For example, a railway minister will be answerable to the public in case of a rail tragedy. So is the case with Pawar."

But, referring to the IPL chief, Thackeray asked, "Why should Lalit Modi be dictating terms?" (With Inputs from Agencies)