The Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has made it clear that he never wanted the Indian Premier League Season II to be postponed in view of election schedule but only wanted the dates to be re-jigged.
Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad after reviewing the security situation in Andhra Pradesh at a high level meeting this morning, Chidambaram said that he was trying to help the IPL by ensuring the availability of sufficient paramilitary forces.
Pointing out that the election schedule announced by the Election Commission and the IPL scheduled were "completely overlapping each other", he said that he did not blame the IPL for it as they were not aware of the election schedule when they were preparing their own schedule.
"I had only suggested that IPL should take a second look at the schedule and they now have come up with another schedule. Meanwhile we got some inputs from the DGPs and commissioners of nine cities and they are being discussed in Delhi. Let them discuss and come back", he said.
"My only concern is if I have to provide central paramilitary forces then I must know whether I have those forces to provide security to the IPL I am trying to help and I will help to the best of our ability", he said.
Mr. Chidambaram emphatically stated that the Indian Premier League should be played in India and no where else.
"I want cricket to be played in India and let me say cricket when played in India is completely safe, no body need worry about playing cricket in India or the safety of any one. All I am saying is the dates have to be rejigged so that I can provide paramilitary forces if necessary", he said. The Home Minister said that the government will ensure that cricket whenever played in India is completely safe.
When asked whether the original target of terror attack in Lahore was the Indian team and Sri Lankans became the target incidentally, the Home Minister said the Indian cricketers fortunately did not go there. "when the cricketers are attacked which ever country they belong to we feel sorry for them and we condemn it", he said.
