Top political agenda: ban IPL cheerleaders

A CHEERLESS LEAGUE: It's still not clear whether the cheerleaders have the necessary work permits.

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New Delhi: To cheer or not to cheer — that's the big debate Maharashtra's politicians are grappling with.

The state government has put restrictions, and may even consider a ban on cheerleaders performing in stadiums where Indian Premiere League matches are being held.

All this after Opposition MLAs had created a hue and cry over the cheerleaders saying they degraded Indian culture.

The state government has now picked up a technical loophole, saying that cheerleaders like the Washington Redskins need a work permit to perform at stadiums.

It's still not clear whether the IPL franchise owners have got the cheerleaders the necessary permit and even permissions for the police to perform in India. Policemen will now be checking for any vulgar display in the stadiums.

The owners of the eight teams have all flown in cheerleaders, with the aim of entertaining the crowd.

However, the Opposition has objected to what the call a "vulgar display" and have equated the cheerleaders with bar dancers in Mumbai.

Even some players have gone on the record saying that the cheerleaders need to be removed from the stadiums.

Pakistan' all-rounder, Shahid Afridi, who is playing for the Deccan Chargers has said, "The girls in skimpy dresses should be removed from the ground as this is distracting the batsmen. Cricket itself is an entertainment. It does not require such cheerleaders to entertain."