No govt security for cricket team: Advani

Showing his anguish over the reports that dragged the home ministry into the controversy surrounding Indian cricket team's Pakistan visit, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani said no Indian security personnel would accompany the team.

"The home ministry has no role to play," Advani said when asked about the possibility of Indian security personnel being deployed for the team's security. The security would be provided by the host country, he added.

Advani said this at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief M Venkaiah Naidu's house where he and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh welcomed former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Govind Narayan Singh to the party.

What appears to have irritated Advani is the interpretation in the media that the home ministry was trying to scuttle the Indo-Pak series in Pakistan.

Official sources in the home ministry said Advani was particularly peeved over the manner in which the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) chief Jagmohan Dalmia put the onus on the home ministry for clearance of the tour.

Officials said though the government held a considered view to re-schedule the tour in view of elections, the attempt to link it with the CBMs caused consternation in the home ministry.

"It appeared as if the home ministry is alone trying to change the schedule" officials said.

As of now, the home ministry is learnt to have made it clear to the BCCI that it has no role to play in the forthcoming Indo-Pak series in Pakistan.

This clearly illustrated by Advani when he said that there was no need for the BCCI team to submit report to the home ministry.

This makes it amply clear that the home ministry will not be making any suggestion about the changing the venues of the matches to be held in Karachi and Peshawar.

"The BCCI is an autonomous body and let them decide to play wherever they want" commented official sources.