New Delhi: The BCCI on Tuesday shot down political party BJP's demand to cancel India's limited-overs series with Pakistan at home in the wake of visiting Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik insulting India. The board insisted that the matches would be held as scheduled.
"There is no question of calling off the tour. All the arrangements have been made and the tour was planned much earlier. Politics should not be mixed with sports and the tour will go on," senior BCCI official and IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla told PTI.
On Monday in the Parliament, the BJP had accused Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde of remaining silent by not responding appropriately to Malik, who triggered controversy by equating 26/11 Mumbai attack with Babri Masjid demolition and describing LeT terrorist Abu Jundal as an operative of Indian intelligence agency. New Delhi has rubbished Malik's assertions.
The demand had been made by a political party in the wake of a visiting Pakistan minister \"insulting\" India.
Senior BJP leader Yashwant Singh said, "The Indo-Pak cricket series [commencing on December 25] should be cancelled. What kind of goodwill we are creating by playing cricket matches after Malik's visit," he told reporters outside the Parliament House.
India are scheduled to play two Twenty20s and three one-dayers against Pakistan starting December 25.
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