The Hindu : Front Page : No "security threat" to ODI in Delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 01, 2005

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Front Page

No "security threat" to ODI in Delhi

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 31. The Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, is coming to New Delhi on April 16 for official meetings irrespective of whether the last one-day cricket international is held in the capital or elsewhere in the country.

This clarification comes in the wake of reports that the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) led by the BJP leader, Arun Jaitley, had said today that it was not in a position to host the one-day game at the Ferozehsah Kotla grounds.

A Home Ministry statement said tonight that there was no "security threat" to the one-dayer in New Delhi. It stressed that there was no reason for the match not to take place on grounds of a "security threat" in Delhi.

Highly-placed Government sources told The Hindu that all plans for Gen. Musharraf's visit to New Delhi had been agreed to with the Pakistan side. If there was a problem relating to New Delhi as the venue for the match, the last one-dayer would be played elsewhere.

According to them, even if the match was not played in the capital, the General and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, could fly out to watch the game wherever it was held on April 17.

The sources also pointed out that just yesterday the Prime Minister had stated that he looked forward to receiving the Pakistani President in New Delhi.

There had been no change in this position in the past 24 hours, the sources maintained.

They also stated that the DDCA had not conveyed anything to the Government of India about its inability to host the one-day game in the city.

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