ID :
51954
Tue, 03/24/2009 - 14:44
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/51954
The shortlink copeid
Chidambaram hits back at BCCI, BJP
New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) In a sharp reaction to the
criticism of the Indian government over the IPL issue, Union
Home Minister P Chidambaram Monday hit back at the BCCI and
the BJP, saying that the cricket tournament was a "shrewd
combination of sport and business" and there was no need to
add politics to it.
A day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) announced that the second edition of the Indian Premier
League (IPL) was being shifted to a foreign country because of
security issues in India, Chidambaram told a press conference
that while he had no comment on that decision, he had read a
number of statements which obliquely criticised the Central
government. "These statements require an answer. Some
unwarranted comments also deserve a rejoinder," he added.
Taking on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who had
described the shifting of the IPL out of India as a "national
shame", the Home Minister said that most people in India
thought that the Gujarat communal riots of 2002 were a
national shame.
To another Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arjun Jaitley's
comments that the decision will send a negative message to the
world and that the Congress-ruled states have been
non-cooperative towards holding of IPL in India, Chidambaram
said, "I know that Mr Jaitley has a penchant for exaggeration,
but because he also wears the cap of the president of the DDCA
he seems to have gone overboard this time."
"Perhaps he has forgotten that several leaders of the NDA
had expressed the view that the schedule of the IPL should be
postponed until after the elections," Chidambaram said.
On BCCI President Shashank Manohar's claim that the
government's attitude forced the organisers to move the IPL
out of the country, Chidambaram said, "If he was referring to
the central government, the remark is entirely unwarranted. It
is contrary to the letter of March 4, 2009, wherein N
Srinivasan, Secretary BCCI, said 'we shall not ask for central
para-military forces to provide security for matches'.
"If Manohar was referring to the State Governments alone,
I would like to remind him that State Governments are
ultimately responsible for maintaining law and order and
providing security and one has to respect the judgment made by
the State Governments in this behalf," he said.
"Chief Ministers are not backroom wizards. They have to
take frontline responsibility for providing security. The
Central Government has to respect their judgment. I may add
that every state has expressed its reservations and also made
it clear that full security can and will be provided after May
16, 2009," he said.
Chidambaram maintained that India is safe for cricket and
the only question was scheduling of the matches.
"I have repeatedly said that cricket - or any other game-
when played in India is completely safe and all players will
be provided full security. The question is when should the IPL
matches be played," Chidambaram said.
With IPL involving huge money, Chidambaram said, "It
appears that IPL is more than a game. It is shrewed
combination of sport and business. There is no reason to add
politics to this combination," he said.
Chidambaram said the Home Ministry had asked the hosts
states for their views on the revised schedule but only three
states and one Union Territory -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Punjab and Chandigarh -- responded.
To a question if he would ask the BCCI to reconsider the
decision of shifting IPL outside the country, Chidambaram
said, "no suggestion."
He had the same answer when asked if he would suggest
holding of the IPL matches after general elections.
In a surprise decision yesterday, the BCCI which had an
emergency working committee meeting, decided to shift the IPL
to another country, most probably England or South Africa.
Chidambaram was scathing in his attack against Modi for
calling the shifting of IPL as a "national shame".
"What is a national shame? Most people in India think
that the Gujarat communal riots in 2002 were a national shame.
That the Supreme Court should have thought it fit to reject
the investigations conducted by the Gujarat Police and to
constitute an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to
re-investigate 14 cases is a matter which brought shame to the
fair name of Gujarat.
"When the SIT report filed before the Supreme Court is
unveiled I have no doubt it will expose the inability of the
Gujarat government in preventing the horrific incidents and
its ineptitude in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the
crimes," he said.
criticism of the Indian government over the IPL issue, Union
Home Minister P Chidambaram Monday hit back at the BCCI and
the BJP, saying that the cricket tournament was a "shrewd
combination of sport and business" and there was no need to
add politics to it.
A day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) announced that the second edition of the Indian Premier
League (IPL) was being shifted to a foreign country because of
security issues in India, Chidambaram told a press conference
that while he had no comment on that decision, he had read a
number of statements which obliquely criticised the Central
government. "These statements require an answer. Some
unwarranted comments also deserve a rejoinder," he added.
Taking on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who had
described the shifting of the IPL out of India as a "national
shame", the Home Minister said that most people in India
thought that the Gujarat communal riots of 2002 were a
national shame.
To another Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arjun Jaitley's
comments that the decision will send a negative message to the
world and that the Congress-ruled states have been
non-cooperative towards holding of IPL in India, Chidambaram
said, "I know that Mr Jaitley has a penchant for exaggeration,
but because he also wears the cap of the president of the DDCA
he seems to have gone overboard this time."
"Perhaps he has forgotten that several leaders of the NDA
had expressed the view that the schedule of the IPL should be
postponed until after the elections," Chidambaram said.
On BCCI President Shashank Manohar's claim that the
government's attitude forced the organisers to move the IPL
out of the country, Chidambaram said, "If he was referring to
the central government, the remark is entirely unwarranted. It
is contrary to the letter of March 4, 2009, wherein N
Srinivasan, Secretary BCCI, said 'we shall not ask for central
para-military forces to provide security for matches'.
"If Manohar was referring to the State Governments alone,
I would like to remind him that State Governments are
ultimately responsible for maintaining law and order and
providing security and one has to respect the judgment made by
the State Governments in this behalf," he said.
"Chief Ministers are not backroom wizards. They have to
take frontline responsibility for providing security. The
Central Government has to respect their judgment. I may add
that every state has expressed its reservations and also made
it clear that full security can and will be provided after May
16, 2009," he said.
Chidambaram maintained that India is safe for cricket and
the only question was scheduling of the matches.
"I have repeatedly said that cricket - or any other game-
when played in India is completely safe and all players will
be provided full security. The question is when should the IPL
matches be played," Chidambaram said.
With IPL involving huge money, Chidambaram said, "It
appears that IPL is more than a game. It is shrewed
combination of sport and business. There is no reason to add
politics to this combination," he said.
Chidambaram said the Home Ministry had asked the hosts
states for their views on the revised schedule but only three
states and one Union Territory -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Punjab and Chandigarh -- responded.
To a question if he would ask the BCCI to reconsider the
decision of shifting IPL outside the country, Chidambaram
said, "no suggestion."
He had the same answer when asked if he would suggest
holding of the IPL matches after general elections.
In a surprise decision yesterday, the BCCI which had an
emergency working committee meeting, decided to shift the IPL
to another country, most probably England or South Africa.
Chidambaram was scathing in his attack against Modi for
calling the shifting of IPL as a "national shame".
"What is a national shame? Most people in India think
that the Gujarat communal riots in 2002 were a national shame.
That the Supreme Court should have thought it fit to reject
the investigations conducted by the Gujarat Police and to
constitute an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to
re-investigate 14 cases is a matter which brought shame to the
fair name of Gujarat.
"When the SIT report filed before the Supreme Court is
unveiled I have no doubt it will expose the inability of the
Gujarat government in preventing the horrific incidents and
its ineptitude in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the
crimes," he said.
