Shiv Sena stormed BCCI headquarters in Mumbai and shouted slogans such as 'Shaharyar Khan go back'; upset with the scenario, the PCB chief and chief executive Najam Sethi left for New Delhi
After preventing Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali from performing in the city, the Shiv Sena turned its gaze on cricket. Protesting against a revival of cricketing ties with Pakistan, Sena workers stormed into the headquarters of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), disrupting talks between Indian cricket chief Shashank Manohar and Pakistan Cricket Board head Shaharyar Khan.
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BCCI chief Shashank Manohar emerges from the Cricket Centre, where security had been beefed up following the protest by Sena. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Cricketing ties between the two nations have slowed down in the past couple of years. While the two teams faced each other in February for the ICC World Cup, the last time India hosted Pakistan for a bilateral series was from December 2012 to January 2013.
Also Read: BCCI-PCB talks rescheduled after Shiv Sena protest
A TV grab of Sena workers who barged into Manohar’s cabin yesterday, shouting anti-Pakistan slogans. Pic/PTI
The drama began at 10.30 am yesterday as soon as Manohar reached the Cricket Centre. Shiv Sainiks barged into his cabin. They did not vandalise the office, but shouted slogans such as ‘Shaharyar Khan go back’. Upset with the scenario, the PCB chief and chief executive Najam Sethi left for New Delhi.
Security strengthened
There were only two constables, a guard and a few security officers at the headquarters, who were not able to prevent the mob of 40-odd protestors from barging in.
The police arrived at the Wankhede Stadium office in a while, but managed to catch only a handful of them. Following the protest, security had been beefed up at the BCCI office and the Trident Hotel, where PCB chief Shaharyar was put up.
Also Read: ICC withdraws Pak umpire Aleem Dar from India-South Africa series
Meeting in Delhi?
While IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla confirmed to PTI that there would be a meeting with the PCB chief in New Delhi, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur told reporters in the Capital, “No meeting is scheduled. Any meeting with PCB will happen only at BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.” However, a BCCI official said that the meeting had been called off altogether.
“Shaharyar is flying to Pakistan on Tuesday from Delhi. There is no meeting scheduled,” he said last evening. Another official played down the meeting, saying Shaharyar wanted to pay a courtesy visit to the new BCCI president. “Remember, he had also gone to meet Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata earlier this year, and was also present for his condolence meeting last month.”
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