India-Pakistan series will honour Kasab, says Shiv Sena
Group says it is sad to see BCCI announcing the venue
PHOTO: REUTERS
India’s far-right political group Shiv Sena launched on Saturday a full-fledged attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for going ahead with the India-Pakistan bilateral series, saying it would be tantamount to honouring terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his team for the horrific 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
According to Indian media reports, the Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamna, said it was sad to see the BCCI declaring the venue of the Indo-Pak bilateral series in December on Thursday, when the whole country was paying tributes to the martyrs of the serial attacks in Mumbai.
Islamabad gives all clear for Pakistan-India series
“It looks like Sri Lanka has been chosen to award Kasab and his team with medals,” the editorial said.
“The bilateral series is not being played in Pakistan because of the terror threat, and patriots like Shiv Sainiks are not allowing the match in India. But the people in the cricket board don’t have any concern for the innocent lives of civilians and security personnel being snuffed by the militants.”
Shiv Sena, a close ally of the BJP-led government, asserted that it was good that the Ministry of External Affairs had still not given the green signal to the bilateral series. “It will be better that same determination should be shown by the centre in putting a check at the BCCI,” the editorial stated.
India says no decision taken on Pakistan-India cricket series
Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla had earlier confirmed that Sri Lanka had been decided as the neutral venue for the much-anticipated series between India and Pakistan next month.
Shukla’s comments came hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had given his nod for his country’s cricket squad to play a series against India in Sri Lanka.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2015.