Pawar meets Thackeray for cricket, snubs Congress

Mumbai: A day after Union Minister Sharad Pawar met Bal Thackeray requesting him to withdraw its threat against Australian cricketers' participation in IPL, Shiv Sena on Monday said it would take a final call on the issue in two-three days.

"Thackeray would take a final call on the issue of Australian players in two three days," Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said today.

Pawar had met Thackeray at the Sena chief's 'Matoshree' residence in Bandra on Sunday night. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar and Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray were also present at the two-hour meeting.

"For me, the country is more important than the game," Saamana quoted Thackeray as telling Pawar.

"I will never tolerate India's insult," the Sena supremo said.

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"We told Balasaheb that the Australian team will not participate in the IPL, but each IPL team will have one or two Australians," Manohar had said last night after the meeting.

"He asked us to give a presentation on how many Australian players will play in the IPL. We will make the presentation in a day or two," Manohar had said.

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"Thackeray and he (Uddhav) gave us a considerate hearing. We tried to convince him that only one or two Australian players will participate in the IPL matches and by not allowing all IPL matches it's the state players (Marathi players) who will lose ultimately," he had told reporters.

The meeting came days after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi took on the Shiv Sena in Bihar and its home turf Mumbai.

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"I am not interested in what Uddhav or Bal Thackeray have to say," Rahul Gandhi had said earlier.

Or even Shah Rukh Khan who refused to apologise to the Sena.

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But perhaps the deeper significance of the visit was to snub the Congress, which has cornered Pawar on the price rise issue.

"We can't stop people meeting anyone, but if there's no explanation forthcoming it will be seen as peculiar," said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, spokesperson, Congress.

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Earlier this month, the Home Minister had spoken on the subject after the Shiv Sena threat. Rejecting their stand, he had said all security will be provided to the Australian players and the matches would take place in Mumbai.
   
"We reject the thesis of Shiv Sena or MNS. Mumbai belongs to all of India. I am sure the Maharashtra Government is capable of handling it. Let the Pakistani and Australians play in India. I guarantee them security," said the Home Minister.

The Union Home Minister and the Maharashtra government have repeatedly assured adequate security will be provided to all Australian players during the IPL. Then why does another Union minister and BCCI president have to request Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena not to disrupt matches? Does Sharad Pawar not have enough confidence in his own government at the Centre and her in Maharashtra?