Indian women’s cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues’ father, Ivan Rodrigues, has broken his silence on the reports of his involvement in religious activities at Khar Gymkhana.
In his statement, Ivan clarified that the religious gatherings followed all the proper protocols of Khar Gymkhana and were in no way related to conversions.
"In light of the recent and erroneous reports doing the rounds in the media, we would like to put on record a few facts.
"We had availed of the facilities at the Khar Gymkhana for the purpose of prayer meetings on multiple occasions, over a period of a year since April 2023. However, this was done in complete accordance with the procedures that Khar Gymkhana have in place, and in full knowledge of the office bearers.
"The prayer meetings were open to all and were in no way 'conversion meetings' as is wrongly labelled in articles in the media.
"When we were told to stop conducting the prayer meetings, we respected the stance of the Gymkhana and did so with immediate effect.
"When informed about the difference in rates for members and guests, we readily cleared the arrears.
"We are honest, law-abiding people who are grateful that we can practise our faith without it being a cause of inconvenience to anyone else.
"To then be the subject of false claims and misinformation is disheartening. We have and continue to wish only the best for everyone."
Khar Gymkhana has terminated the membership of Jemimah Rodrigues. This decision was taken unanimously during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) due to complaints from multiple members about her father allegedly misusing membership privileges.
Ivan Rodrigues expressed his disappointment over what he described as misleading information and reiterated his family's commitment to obey the rules and practices of the Khar Gymkhana.
