Jemimah Rodrigues controversy: Indian women’s cricket player Jemimah Rodrigues has allegedly had her membership withdrawn by Mumbai’s Khar Gymkhana. The Indian Express reported on October 22 that the club’s annual general body meeting was where this decision was reached. Her father, Ivan Rodrigues, was accused by certain club members of utilizing the space for “religious activities” that included efforts to convert “vulnerable” people, which is what led to the action.

Although the scope and specifics of these operations were not fully disclosed, it was stated that member protests prompted this disciplinary action.

Vivek Devnani, the president of Khar Gymkhana, was reported by Indian Express as stating, “The honorary three-year membership granted to Ms. Jemimah Rodrigues was revoked pursuant to a resolution passed by the members who attended the general meeting held on October 20, 2024.”

We learned that the father of Jemimah Rodrigues was affiliated with Brother Manuel Ministries. They hosted 35 events and reserved the presidential hall for over a year and a half. Shiv Malhotra, a member of the Khar Gymkhana management committee, said, “We all know what was happening there.”

“Conversions are occurring right in front of our eyes, yet we hear about them all across the nation. There were large screens, dancers, and pricey musical instruments. Rule 4A of the constitution and Khar Gymkhana’s bylaws state that the organization does not allow religious activities,” he said.

Nitin Gadekar, the previous president of the Gymkhana, said that a staff member had told him about the “religious activity.”

Malhotra and I went to watch it with a few other members. We saw that trance music was playing, the room was dark, and a woman was stating, “He is coming to save us.” How Gymkhana could have permitted this in the first place shocked me. After our objection, the decision was made to terminate her membership, Gadekar said.

In 2023, Khar Gymkhana sent an invitation to Rodrigues, who most recently played for India in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, to join and use its facilities. One of the most well-known hitters on the Indian women’s cricket squad, the 24-year-old is renowned for her outstanding exploits in all forms. Rodrigues has established herself globally with more than 100 T20I games for India, including a pivotal part in the 2020 T20 World Cup, when India advanced to the final.