The Left parties too demanded a ban on IPL and a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the source of funds. Meanwhile, BCCI’s Media and Finance Committee chairman Rajiv Shukla is reported to have met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the backdrop of the IPL controversy.

As soon as the House met for the day, Lalu Prasad (RJD), Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) and Sharad Yadav (JD-U) were on their feet demanding that government disband the IPL which according to them has become a ‘betting and gambling ring.’

MPs from the RJD, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M) and others stood up and raised the IPL issue saying the sport event had acquired a sleazy undertone with the latest revelations and that the Centre must intervene to bring about transparency into its managment affairs.

‘The moot question is the IPL and not Tharoor,’ Sharad Yadav said amid calls from Speaker Meira Kumar to allow the Question Hour to continue.

Lalu Prasad wanted the government to take over the IPL and the BCCI. He also wanted a probe into the alleged black money in IPL.

‘Why target Tharoor only? The main culprit is this IPL. This is a gambling and betting business. There are bigwigs involved. The entire network should be probed,’ Lalu Prasad said in the Lok Sabha, as soon as the house began question hour.

The demands for disbanding the IPL come in the wake of reports that the income tax department is set probe the IPL teams and start wide-ranging investigations into the flow of money in the T20 tournament.

Tharoor, who was accused of arranging a deal for his friend Sunanda Pushkar, had to resign as Minister of State for External Affairs on Sunday for his involvement in the affairs of Kochi IPL team.

Lalu Prasad said IPL had become a den of ‘sattebazi’ (gambling) and that the government must step in to stem the rot, which had exposed the skeletons in its cupboards, as it involved large-scale people’s interest and finances.