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December 30, 2016 09:27 IST

'Kambli shies away from Dalit status due to fear of being ousted from Page 3 circuit'

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Udit Raj on Thursday said that former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli had disclosed to him that he faced discrimination many times but now he shies away as his Dalit status might oust him from the Page 3 circuit.

Raj, chairman of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, stated that in the Indian cricket team, there should be a quota for the Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe (SC/ST) players.

Raj brought forward the Dalit background of Kambli and stated his point over the issues in a tweet.

Taking the name of the former cricketer, Udit Raj tweeted, "Vinod Kambli you should not be shy of accepting that you are a Dalit and that was the reason of your exclusion from cricket."

Kambli reacted back by tweeting, "Mr Raj, I don't support any of your statements. Hence, I request you to refrain from using my name!!!"

On Thursday, Raj commented on Kambli's reaction, saying, "Vinod Kambli told me he faced discrimination many times but now he shies away from it as his Dalit status might oust him from Page 3."

Earlier, Raj had sought reservation in cricket for dalits, a demand that the BCCI rubbished. Raj had alleged that there is discrimination in the selection process in the BCCI.

IMAGE: A file picture of Vinod Kambli with actor Vivek Oberoi