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NEW DELHI, March 31: In a strange turn of events, the ruling Congress party on Thursday stepped in to save President General Pervez Musharraf?s planned visit to India next month after some elements within the Bharatiya Janata Party moved to scuttle the ongoing India-Pakistan peace process. President Musharraf is scheduled to arrive here on April 16 to watch a one-day cricket match between Pakistan and India on the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The president of the Delhi Cricket Association, Arun Jaitley, who was minister for law and justice in the then BJP government, told a press conference earlier in the day that he would propose to the Board of Cricket Control India to cancel the match for security reasons.
Mr Jaitley said he had not been able to get security clearance from the Municipal Cooperation of Delhi (MCD) for the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium, the venue of the April 17 match, and therefore would propose cancellation of the match.
He maintained that the municipal authorities had not given the security clearance because of concerns about the safety of the structure as repair work at the stadium had not been completed.
On the other hand, the MCD chairman told reporters that no one had approached him in this regard. However, a few hours later, the spokesman for India?s ministry of home affairs announced: ?All requisite security arrangements will be in place for holding the One-Day International cricket match at Ferozshah Kotla ground, New Delhi, on 17 April, 2005, and there is no reason why the match should be called off on security considerations.?
Analysts here said Mr Jaitley?s announcement indicated an infighting going on within the BJP, with some elements not wanting the Congress government to take credit for the peace process which had been initiated by the BJP-led government.
President Musharraf is expected to hold ?substantive? talks with the Indian prime minister to take the process forward. The Indian prime minister said on Wednesday that he was looking forward to President Musharraf?s visit and signalled that they would talk on all issues, including Kashmir.
PAKISTAN?S REACTION: Meanwhile, foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said in Islamabad that Pakistan was still waiting to hear from India about the development.
?We have not been officially informed,? he told AFP.
?Once we get the information about the next venue officially, we will take a decision,? Mr Jilani said.
The president of the Delhi Cricket Association, Arun Jaitley, who was minister for law and justice in the then BJP government, told a press conference earlier in the day that he would propose to the Board of Cricket Control India to cancel the match for security reasons.
Mr Jaitley said he had not been able to get security clearance from the Municipal Cooperation of Delhi (MCD) for the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium, the venue of the April 17 match, and therefore would propose cancellation of the match.
He maintained that the municipal authorities had not given the security clearance because of concerns about the safety of the structure as repair work at the stadium had not been completed.
On the other hand, the MCD chairman told reporters that no one had approached him in this regard. However, a few hours later, the spokesman for India?s ministry of home affairs announced: ?All requisite security arrangements will be in place for holding the One-Day International cricket match at Ferozshah Kotla ground, New Delhi, on 17 April, 2005, and there is no reason why the match should be called off on security considerations.?
Analysts here said Mr Jaitley?s announcement indicated an infighting going on within the BJP, with some elements not wanting the Congress government to take credit for the peace process which had been initiated by the BJP-led government.
President Musharraf is expected to hold ?substantive? talks with the Indian prime minister to take the process forward. The Indian prime minister said on Wednesday that he was looking forward to President Musharraf?s visit and signalled that they would talk on all issues, including Kashmir.
PAKISTAN?S REACTION: Meanwhile, foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said in Islamabad that Pakistan was still waiting to hear from India about the development.
?We have not been officially informed,? he told AFP.
?Once we get the information about the next venue officially, we will take a decision,? Mr Jilani said.
