World T20 : Indian state unwilling to provide security to Pak team

[third eye]

Congress doing what its best at ..

World T20: Indian state unwilling to provide security to Pakistan team - Sport - DAWN.COM

NEW DELHI: India's cricket board on Tuesday criticised authorities in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh after they refused to provide security for an upcoming India-Pakistan World T20 tie, citing a January attack on an Indian army base.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said Sunday that the match should be moved to another venue out of respect for the “martyrs” killed in the assault by militants on an Indian air force base in neighbouring Punjab.

He has threatened not to provide security for Pakistan's players at the Himachal Pradesh cricket ground in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala where the clash is due to take place on March 19.

“We are not willing to provide security for the match,” a senior state government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“It's just one match that we are bothered about because it involves Pakistan and our decision reflects the sentiments of the people of Himachal.”

Indian cricket board secretary Anurag Thakur accused the state of playing politics and said the country regularly provided security for Pakistani sportsmen and women.

“The venues of the World Cup matches were decided one year ago, the allotment of matches was decided six months ago,” said Thakur.

“By claiming that you cannot provide security, you are only giving credence to Pakistani claims that there is a security threat to their team in India. It's about the country's image.”

Pakistan have already voiced concerns about security in India, saying there were specific threats from Hindu activists who forced the cancellation of a meeting between cricket officials from the two countries in Mumbai last October.

The South Asian arch-rivals have not played a bilateral series for more than three years amid diplomatic tensions.

Those were worsened by the January attack on the Pathankot airbase, which came days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise peacemaking visit to Pakistan in December.

The raid led to the postponement of peace talks between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals, with Modi urging his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to take “firm and immediate action”..

 

[third eye]

Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh says Indo-Pak World T20 tie should not be held at Dharamsala | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis

Himachal Pradesh Congress asked the BCCI to either cancel the proposed India-Pakistan T-20 World Cup match slated for March 19 at Dharamsala or shift the venue. The executive of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee also criticised the Secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and BJP MP Anurag Thakur for the decision to hold the match in Dharamsala.

Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh was averse to the idea of the Indo-Pak match at Dharamsala as he said, "At this point of time, Pakistan's match should not be in Dharamsala."

"BCCI should either cancel or shift the match to other state to honour the sentiments of families of martyrs," HPCC president Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said. Sukkhu also demanded that 50 per cent income from eight other matches to be played at the same venue be disbursed among the kins of those who laid down their lives in successive wars against Pakistan or during anti-terror operations.

He said Kangra is home to a large number of soldiers, including Kargil War heroes like Captain Vikram Batra and Captain Saurabh Kalia and a war memorial is located close to Dharamsala stadium. "Our party is not against holding other World Cup matches but only opposing the one against Pakistan as it would hurt the sentiments of the people, especially the families of martyrs," he said.

Sukhu also asked the BJP MP Anurag Thakur to make his stand clear on the issue as "he had earlier conducted a march from Kolkata to Lal Chowk in Kashmir to hoist national flag". He said that party vice president Rahul Gandhi would visit the state in April during which he would address major rallies and meetings in all four parliamentary constituencies.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Ex-servicemen league, which has been opposing the match, has now shot off a letter to Prime minister Narendra Modi to prevail upon the BCCI to abandon it in the wake of the attack by Pakistani terrorists on Pathankot Airbase in which two jawans from the state were killed.

President of the League Vijay singh Mankotia, in his letter to the PM said since the people are still mourning the deaths of their brave soldiers, they would not "relish" the slogans of 'Pakistan Zindabad' by Pakistani supporters during the match.

"When the Indo-Pak talks can be cancelled after the terror attack, why not the cricket match," Mankotia said, adding that over 1-lakh ex-servicemen would launch an agitation to prevent the Pakistani team from entering Dharamsala.

Mankotia said close on the heels of the Pathankot attack, two more Himachali jawans were killed during an encounter in Pulwama. Notably, Former Chief Minister and BJP MP Shanta Kumar and former BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania have also opposed the match. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has said he would apprise the Prime Minister about sentiments of the people.

 

[CHD]

Uff, ek to indians ke dramai khatam nai hote.

 

[Parul]

The match should be moved to Delhi - I'll be more than happy to watch it live at Kotla & support "Men in Blue".

 

[Bombermanx1]

Even if it is Congress ruled state, i will support such Endeavor,
Then again people will call why a Right winger is supporting such thing,because it is the right thing to do.
Nothing more important that honoring our Martyrs.