Hockey India chief Batra refutes Gill's allegations against Jaitley

New Delhi: Hockey India President Narinder Batra on Wednesday rebutted KPS Gill's allegations that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has a "conflict of interest" in the national hockey body, saying it was just a "creation" by the banned IHF chief to settle scores with him.

Batra admitted that Jaitley's daughter Sonali fought one of the the many cases for HI for a very brief period but just as a professional and it was unfair to attach any motives.

Gill on Wednesday dragged the Union Finance Minister into the affairs of HI, urging the Delhi government to probe into the BJP stalwart's "conflict of interest" in the national hockey body.

Former top cop, Gill has written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that Jaitley had appointed his daughter Sonali as the counsel for Hockey India when he was a member of the advisory board of Hockey India League.

But Batra strongly refuted the allegations, saying Gill's charges were "baseless".

"The time that KPS Gill is talking about, we had a number of cases to fight. To be precise we had 22 cases to fight in that period in different places of the country, so we had to hire a lot of lawyers and lot of law firms. Jaitley and Bakshi firm was one of them. The money that went to them was hardly 2 per cent. So I don't know where the conflict of interest comes from," Batra said, rubbishing Gill's claims.

"I just can't give my cases to anybody. I have to hire some body who is a professional and whom I know. All my dealings and balance sheet is on the HI website," he added.

"It's all Gill saab's creation. I don't know what Gill has against me. I am not worried, we come under the RTI," he asserted.

It is a fresh attack on Jaitley who has been accused by AAP, Congress and BJP MP Kirti Azad of "shielding corruption" when he was the president of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Gill's allegations came a day after the Delhi Assembly yesterday passed a resolution to set up a Commission of Inquiry over the alleged irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).