Cricket board headquarters ransacked
Shiv Sena denies involvement

MUMBAI, Jan 18 (PTI) — A group of 50 vandals today ransacked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters causing extensive damage to trophies and office equipment ahead of Pakistan cricket team’s tour of India, but Shiv Sena denied its involvement in the incident.

The attack followed Shiv Sena’s threat to disrupt the coming India-Pakistan series and vandalisation of the Union Capital’s Ferozeshah Kotla pitch earlier by Shiv Sainiks.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi following the attack on the board headquarters at Brabourne Stadium in South Mumbai, official sources in Delhi said.

However, Union Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani, who was in Mumbai, declined to comment on the attack saying "I have heard about it but I have nothing to say at the moment".

Maharashtra’s Culture Minister Pramod Nawalkar and Uddhav Thackeray, son of Sena chief Bal Thackeray, said the Shiv Sena had nothing to do with the incident.

Board sources said the vandals stormed its office and smashed a computer, two photocopiers, a fax machine, three typewriters and other equipment worth about Rs 20 lakh besides snapping telephone lines.

The mob used cricket stumps, hockey sticks and steel pipes to break shelves storing over 50 trophies which were strewn all over, many of them dented by the impact of falling.

During the attack, that lasted 10 minutes, six staffers were present in the office including BCCI Executive Secretary Sharad Diwadkar, who was allegedly manhandled by the mob.

One of the clerks, present when the attack took place, pointed at the broken wallclock which had stopped working at 2.25 p.m., the exact time when the miscreants struck.

The office was immediately cordoned off and security stepped up after the incident, which has not been owned up by any group or party so far.

Today’s incident follows the pitch digging at Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi on January 6 by Shiv Sainiks.

Condemning the incident, Sena Chief Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav and another top Sena leader Pramod Nawalkar said that their party had "no connection whatsoever" with the attack on the BCCI office.

"This is nothing but a ploy to defame Shiv Sena," Uddhav said.

Maintaining Sena’s firm opposition to Pakistan cricket team’s tour of India, both Uddhav and Nawalkar, however, said "Sena’s quarrel is with Pakistan and not with cricket".

"We too are proud of the trophies which Indian cricketers won at Sharjah and in other international events," Uddhav said when asked for his reaction on the damage caused to several victory trophies during the ransacking.

"I made inquiries all over, I spoke to police too, and I can tell you that no Shiv Sainik was involved in the ransacking of the BCCI office," Uddhav said.

Maharashtra Congress leader Chhagan Bhujbal has described the ransacking of the BCCI office as a "shameful" act especially when the Union Home Minister L.K. Advani was in the city on an official visit.

Accusing Shiv Sena of engineering the attack, Bhujbal who is leader of opposition in the state legislative council, in a statement said: "Shiv Sena has already crossed all limits expected to be observed by a political party," and sought stern action against the ransackers.

Bhujbal, who visited the BCCI office and also met officials and staff of the board after the attack, said: "The attack is a lesson for the BJP which is an alliance partner of Shiv Sena at the centre as well as in the state," and asked the party to break its alliance with Sena.

NEW DELHI: The BJP today described as "reprehensible" the ransacking of the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai by a group of about 50 people alleged to be Shiv Sena activists.

"BJP had earlier condemned the Shiv Sainiks’ attempts to damage the Ferozeshah Kotla pitch in Delhi. This is an extension of their agenda and their present action of ransacking the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai is equally reprehensible", said party spokesman J.P. Mathur.

He hoped the central and other state governments where the Test matches are to be played between India and Pakistan would provide all security and ensure that the matches are played without hindrance.

"We condemn this ransacking of the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai and the state government should take immediate action against those involved in the incident", party office secretary R.K. Sinha said here.

When contacted, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Pakistan High Commissioner in India, said: "I still have to get full information about the incident. I cannot make any comment at this stage."

He was reacting to specific question whether Pakistan tour to India would be on in the wake of today’s incident.

CALCUTTA: Twentyone Shiv Sena and Indian Nationalist Forum (INF) activists were today arrested from near the residence of International Cricket Council President Jagmohan Dalmiya for taking out a procession in protest against Pakistan cricket team’s ensuing tour of India, police said.

The protest march, jointly organised by the two organisations, was led by Prof Anima Bose of the Shiv Sena and Gopal Saha of the INF.

The slogan shouting protestors were taken into custody before they reached Dalmiya’s residence, police said.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made at the Eden Gardens, police added.