In Rajasthan's Karauli, PM Modi's 'IPL' bouncer at Congress over terrorism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took on the Congress on issue of terrorism in a unique way by invoking previous editions of the Indian Premier League. Addressing a mega rally in Rajasthan’s Karauli, PM Modi said that the previous government was so sacred of terrorism that it refused to hold the popular cricket tournament. “The youth takes a lot of interest in IPL. But there were 2 occasions when it could not be played in India, it was played in South Africa. This happened in 2009 and 2014. The government at the Centre was so scared of terrorists. That government had no courage.”

“In 2009 and 2014, they (the UPA government) said, there's election. Police is busy so can't have the IPL. But look, there are elections now. There was Navratri, Ramnavmi and Hanuman Jayanti too. Ramzan will be here. But IPL is going on. Ye poonch daba ke bhaagne waali sarkar mein they,Modi seena taan ke jata hai,” PM Modi added.

It should be noted that the 2009 IPL could not be held in India due to the Lok Sabha Elections and was moved to South Africa after the BCCI failed to receive adequate security assurances from the Indian government.

"Because of the government's attitude that they cannot provide security, particularly by the state of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, we were forced to take a decision to move the event out of India," Shashank Manohar, the then BCCI president had said in 2009.

In 2014, one-half of the tournament was played in the UAE after the Indian Home Ministry made it clear that it would not be possible to provide the required security for the tournament during the elections. The BCCI had presented the Indian government with an alternative plan in which the tournament would return to India in early May, by when seven of the nine polling dates would have passed. It was in May that the tournament returned to India.

12 seats in Rajasthan, including Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhuju, Sikar, Jaipur rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur will go to poll on May 6. PM Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi have been intensely campaigning in these seats. The state has a total of 25 seats and 13 seats went to poll on April 29.