"Dirty politics played was by the private players during the two-day IPL player auction in Bangalore' recently," Urban Development Minister Asok Bhattacharya alleged.
"It's most unfair for a player of Sourav's stature. Throughout his career he had been a victim of conspiracy, otherwise he could have turned up for another couple of years for the country," the minister said.
"Has 'dada', my most favourite cricketer, not been the most successful Indian cricket captain till date?" the Minister, who enjoys personal rapport with the former Kolkata Knight Riders icon, asked.
Ganguly, who captained KKR in the inaugural and 2009 season, was completely ignored in two rounds of players' auction for the fourth edition starting April 8.
KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan yesterday said leaving out Ganguly from the team was a decision taken by the "cricketing brains" of the franchise and not by him.
Published 13 January 2011, 16:45 IST