When American and Australian cheerleaders were drafted in to perform during the new Indian Premier League cricket tournament, the idea was to add a touch of razzmatazz to the fusty national pastime.

But the dancers - including a troupe on loan from the Washington Redskins - now find themselves at the centre of a national controversy over their skimpy outfits and provocative moves.

Last week, one group of cheerleaders was forced to don unflattering blue lycra bodysuits for a match in Bombay following objections by Shiv Sena, a Hindu nationalist party that controls the local government.

Tonight, another group was obliged to tone down its act in the eastern city of Calcutta in response to further protests from an unlikely alliance of Hindu nationalists and left wing politicians - usually arch enemies.

Much of the anger in Calcutta has been directed at the home side, the Kolkata Knight Riders, whose Bollywood star owner, Shah Rukh Khan, has hired foreign cheerleaders to help entertain the fans.

“This is not our culture,” Sudeep Banerjee, student leader of Forward Bloc, a leftist party that joined the protests, told The Times. “If the IPL is so hell bent on promoting entertainment to the audience, then why don’t they promote our classical dances which showcase Indian culture? Also, it can be dubbed as nothing but exploitation of women.”

With several groups threatening to stage further protests inside Calcutta’s Eden Gardens stadium, the debate has even reached parliament, where a Shiv Sena legislator called for a ban on the cheerleaders on Monday.

“They bring obscenity to the game of cricket which is watched by all members of a family,” Sanjay Raut told the upper house.

The controversy illustrates how growing Western influence - notably in business, media and sport - is starting to break down centuries-old Indian taboos.

But it also shows how that process is often hindered by politicians who latch on to such issues to try to generate publicity or score political points.

Richard Gere, the Hollywood actor, sparked a similar controversy last year when he kissed Shilpa Shetty, the Bollywood star, on the cheek at an AIDS awareness meeting.

Mr Gere was facing obscenity charges until India’s Supreme Court suspended the legal proceedings last month and allowed him to revisit the country.

Calls for a total ban on cheerleaders are expected to be equally unsuccessful - not least because of the huge amounts of money involved in the IPL.

It is a Twenty20 tournament, loosely modeled on England’s football Premier League, which will eventually allow teams to buy and trade players from around the world.

IPL insiders said they had expected objections from Shiv Sena in Bombay, but were surprised by the level of opposition in Calcutta.

Subhas Chakraborty, the sports minister for West Bengal, of which Calcutta is the state capital, was one of several leftist politicians who spoke out against the cheerleaders.

He only relented after the Knight Riders announced that their cheerleaders would keep themselves “well-covered” during last night’s game.

Mr Khan, the proprietor, also insisted he had no intention of exploiting women. “However, since a voice of protest has been heard and I am also a father of some children who love cricket, I shall pay attention to this issue,” he said. “We are playing to entertain people. Since people will feel happier, we are pleased to correct ourselves.”

Many of the cheerleaders will apparently be pleased too, following claims that their revealing costumes and risque routines have drawn verbal harrassment and abuse from the crowds.

“We do expect people to pass lewd, snide remarks but I am shocked by the nature and magnitude of the comments people pass here,” Tabitha, a cheerleader from Uzbekistan, told the Hindustan Times.

“Be it a 70-year-old or a 15-year-old kid they all lech at us and make amorous advances. We are living in constant fear of being molested.”