ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

No one had ever harmed Indian cricketers: Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has denied his party's involvement in the attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India headquarters in south Bombay on January 18.

After inaugurating the Shree Lakshya Chandi Mahayagna organised at Goregaon in northeast Bombay on Wednesday, Thackeray reiterated his opposition to the Pakistan cricket team playing in India. ''Unless and until sufficient proof was given about involvement of the Shiv Sainiks in the incident, I will not not accept the responsibility for vandalism on the BCCI office and its staff members,'' Thackeray told UNI.

The Sena chief expressed surprise at the reported decision to divert the Indian cricket team to an undisclosed destination on their arrival from New Zealand today. He also wondered about the security threat sighted by the officials concerned and said that no one had ever harmed the Indian cricketers.

When asked about the appeal made by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to withdraw his Sena's opposition to Pakistan cricket team, Thackeray stuck to his stand and reiterated that Pakistan team must not be allowed to play in India.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report