By IANS,
Ahmedabad : The Gujarat Congress Monday said Chief Minister Narendra Modi was aiming for “cheap publicity” while suggesting IPL matches in Ahmedabad during the Lok Sabha polls despite security concerns raised by the director general of police (DGP) of the state.
“The chief minister was suggesting that IPL matches be conducted in Ahmedabad keeping in mind only a few wealthy promoters of the event while overlooking the concerns raised by the DGP of the state,” Gujarat Congress president Siddharth Patel told reporters here Monday evening.
He said that a chief minister who could not ensure protection of the devotees at the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar while having his residence barely yards away from the temple was talking about holding IPL matches during the Lok Sabha polls.
Patel while reading out a letter written by the DGP S.S. Khandwawala to Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) president Narhari Amin said: “You would appreciate that the Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat are scheduled for April 30, 2009. Therefore we will not be in a position to demarcate police force for the conduct of the IPL matches played between April 15 and May 3 in Ahmedabad”.
He said that it was shameful on part of the Gujarat chief minister to be acting as a spokesperson for the wealthy sponsors of the game instead of worrying about the security environment in his state during the polls.