New Delhi: Its back to centre's court once again, after days of will it happen or wont it, the IPL matches now depend on a crucial input from the Home Ministry. All state governments have now written in to say the matches are possible only if central paramilitary forces are provided or they are allowed to use the forces deployed for election duty.for instance.
Andhra Pradesh which has assembly and Lok Sabha polls says matches should be held only after the 23rd of April -- the day voting ends in the state.
Rajasthan too has sent a fresh schedule of April 26, May 6 and May 9, since elections in Rajasthan are on May 7. Karnataka too has written in to say it can’t hold matches between May 2 and 12.
Security wasn’t a googly, the BCCI expected when it announced the schedule two weeks ago. And it’s a tight fit even now. Month of May end is when the world cup 20-20 is held and international players won’t be available, the BCCI says.
And with millions riding on the show, reducing the number of matches is not an option the IPL wants to consider either. State governments say it’s for the center to decide.
Without government security, its unlikely foreign teams will play a match in Pakistan's immediate neighborhood. And there is little private security agencies can do in a terror attack as they are not allowed to carry firearms.
It’s a choice between the biggest entertainment show in South Asia and the biggest exercise in democracy in the world and for the moment its democracy that's winning.
Because in times of election, a terror attack is something the UPA government can ill afford.
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