NEW DELHI – Hindu hard-line group ‘Anti-Terrorist Front’ has threatened to dig the pitch at the HPCA stadium if the Pakistan-India fixture is allowed to take place in Dharamshala.
Virender Shandilya, national president of Anti-Terrorist Front of India, demanded that the Pakistan cricket team not be allowed to play in the World Twenty20 match against India on March 19. “If the Pakistan team comes to Dharamshala to play against Indian cricket team, we will dig out the pitch in HPCA stadium,” Shandilya said.
Shandilya claimed that he had written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard. He added that he will also meet State Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and leader of opposition PK Dhumal.
“We will protest against this match in Dharamshala in a big way in the coming days,” said Shandilya. Indian hard-liners have a history of digging up pitches. In 1999 when Pakistan was touring India after a gap of 12 years, Shiv Sena activists dug up the pitch at the Feroshah Kotla stadium.
Former skipper Wasim Akram stressed that the Pakistan team should only go to India if complete security is provided.
