Following his exclusion from India's Davis Cup squad, Mahesh Bhupati has warned AITA that he is not afraid to drag the Federation to court. He said that he will be exploring 'legal options'.

The two are banned from representing the country by the Federation till June 30, 2014 on disciplinary grounds.

All India Tennis Association(AITA) took the decision just hours after India's new look Davis cup team took an insurmountable 3-0 lead against New Zealand in Chandigargh on Saturday.

"Rohan has played for India for 10 years and I have played now for about 18 years now. And to get slapped with something like this, I take this as rough," Bhupathi said.

"We are exploring it, we don't know yet but I don't think what they have done and the way they have done it , is fully legal. So we are exploring it what they have done is right and obviously if not legal, we are gonna go after it," he added.

When asked if he felt the AITA action was because of personal vendetta, Bhupathi said " Yeah, I believe so".

"It's been going on with me and association and heads of the federation for years now. I am just upset and afraid that my friend and partner Rohan has got caught in the middle of this dirty game. I have been quiet for a long time,"

Earlier, the AITA said on Sunday that by sidelining Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna till June 2014 it has sent out a strong message that indiscipline will not be tolerated.

It was also made clear that the ban was a lesson for the two players for rebelling against the decision of being paired with Leander Peas for the Olympics.

With a flurry of young talent coming in, the federation was not afraid to put the ban on the two established players. They now expect the young team to continue with the hard work in 2013, when India will strive to re-enter the World Group.

"The young Indian team has done well. In Asia/Oceania zone, it will be good to continue with a young team," AITA president Anil Khanna had told PTI then.

Both Bhopanna and Bhupati had threatened to not play the Olympics at all if either of them was forced to pair with Leander.

AITA had to accede to their demand at that time but has now taken the action saying it will not tolerate indiscipline.