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| Angry Thakre urges people to whip BCCI members | | Revolt In Congress | |
MINCING NO WORDS
Neha
JAMMU, July 19: The sudden decision of the BCCI to restore cricketing ties with terrorist Pakistan has shocked and angered many in India. It is understandable. After all, Pakistani state actors and terrorists like Hafiz Saeed had caused a deadly attack in Mumbai on 26/11 and murdered in cold-blood more than 150 innocent civilians, including Indian, Americans, Israelis and others, with a number of determined and committed police officials also laying down their lives in order to liquidate the terrorists. How could the BCCI and the Government of India think in terms of reviving cricketing ties with a country which has been shielding, defending and patronizing the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks? This is the question the critics are asking.
One can understand the reasons behind the vehement opposition of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thakre to the decision to resume bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan. He never minces words and says what he wants to say. Only yesterday, he urged the people to “publicly whip” the BCCI members for their decision to resume bilateral cricket series with Pakistan. "The whole country is against Pakistan. BCCI should be whipped before the Taj Hotel and CST (venues of the 26/11 terror attacks)," he wrote in an editorial in the party’s official mouthpiece “Saamana”. "Having peace talks with Pakistan which is behind the blasts in India is a farce. Playing cricket with them is treason," he also added. He did not stop just there. He went on to write that the BCCI is after money and “willing to trade the country’s security for money” and that "the empty stadiums during these matches will be the true homage to 26/11 victims and martyrs". He also hailed former captain Sunil Gavaskar for his opposition to the proposed India-Pakistan cricket series and said that the former captain of Indian cricket team Gavasakar “has given voice to the sentiments of the people of the country”. Remember, Gavasakar had two days ago questioned the BCCI and asked where was the urgency for the resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan? He expressed the view that the BCCI had outraged the nation by taking this decision overlooking the fact that Pakistan has not brought the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice.
One can also understand the reasons behind the bitter opposition of the BJP and the VHP to the decision taken by the BCCI and supported by the Congress-led government. The BJP and other RSS-funded organizations have been taking a hard stand on almost every issue for some months now to corner the Congress and consolidate their constituencies against the Congress and similar other “pseudo-secular” organizations. They are not only rubbishing the interlocutors’ report on Jammu & Kashmir but also urging New Delhi to adopt an aggressive approach towards Pakistan and the Pakistani agents in Kashmir. So much so, the BJP has been accusing the Congress and UPA of ruining India and letting it down in international forums.
The opposition of the Shiv Sena, the BJP and VHP should not surprise anyone. What should surprise the Indians the most is the sharp division within the Congress over the issue of resumption of bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan. On the day when the BCCI took the decision, the Maharashtra Congress Committee (MCC) publicly denounced the decision. The MCC president termed the decision as provocative and against the will of the people. He did not mince words and urged the BCCI and the COngres-led UPA government to reconsider the decision taking into consideration the sentiments of the people.
Yesterday, senior Congress leader and Member of Rajya Sabha, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, who has been defending the congress almost on daily basis, also took the plunge and opposed tooth and nail the decision. He said, “We are asking Pakistan to play cricket with us and Pakistan is exporting terror to India”, and added that “he is feeling outraged” and that “he is against the decision”. Chaturvedi is not an ordinary Congressman. He is an important member of the Congress think-tank.
The opposition as registered by the MCC and Chaturvedi clearly shows that all is not well within the Congress and that there are important Congress leaders who are seething with anger for various reasons. There are reasons to believe that many more Congressmen will join the campaign against the BCCI and the Union Government. At the same time, it can also be said that the BCCI and the UPA government are unlikely to reverse the decision, which means a confrontation is in the offing.
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