Dhoni follows ICC's regulation, removes 'Balidaan Badge'
London: Abiding by the ICC's diktat, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was seen without the Army insignia on his wicketkeeping gloves as he took the field after India posted a mammoth 352/5 against Australia in a marquee World Cup clash at the Kennington Oval here on Sunday.
The whole issue started during India's opening game against South Africa on June 5 when Dhoni once again professed his love for the country's security forces by sporting the regimental dagger insignia of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicketkeeping gloves.
Social media went into a tizzy in support of India's World Cup winning captain and urged he be allowed to wear the same in all of the remaining matches.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) then requested the ICC to allow Dhoni to keep sporting the 'Balidaan Badge' but to no avail, as the game's global governing body stuck to its guns, saying it was a breach of the ICC regulations.
As per the regulations, Dhoni would have been reprimanded if he sported the Army insignia on his keeping gloves on Sunday. The second offence would attract a fine of 25 per cent of the match fee. A third offence would mean 50 per cent fine of the fee and a fourth offence would see the player losing 75 per cent of his match fee. All of this within a span of 12 months.
The BCCI, under the supervision of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), failed to back Dhoni in the Army insignia controversy with CoA chief Vinod Rai stating that they will have to abide by ICC's ruling.
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Rally against "vote chori" to protect every citizen's right, says D K Shivakumar
New Delhi/ Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar asserted that the Congress party's rally against alleged 'vote chori' (vote theft) in New Delhi is to protect every citizen's right to vote.
Accusing BJP government at the Centre of restricting vehicles with Congress workers from entering Delhi to participate in the party's mega rally, Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress chief, said that about 3,500-4,000 party leaders and workers have come from the state to participate in the rally.
Congress is holding a mega rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday, against the alleged "vote chori" (vote theft).
"We (state Congress) have made accommodation for 1,500 people (party workers and leaders), more than 2,000 people have made their own arrangements. They have come by flight and train. About 3,500-4,000 people have come. About 1.42 crore signatures have been gathered from the state (as part of its signature campaign)," Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said, there is a lot of enthusiasm among party workers and leaders, and they are committed to saving the Congress party in the state and the country, and protecting the citizens' right to vote.
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"As per the information that I have received this morning, the BJP and the central government are stopping vehicles (with Congress workers) from coming to Delhi, they are apparently not allowing vehicles to enter the city. I don't know why they are doing this. I don't know why the BJP and the central government are so worried. But no one can stop our voice," he added.
Further stating that Congress is fighting on behalf of the people of the country to protect their right to vote, the Deputy CM said, there is no politics in it. He said, all the leaders will be leaving for the protest venue from the Congress office in Delhi.
Reacting to a question on Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly terming Congress party's rally as an "act of frustration" due to electoral losses, and similar criticism from other BJP leaders, he said, he doesn't want to react to anyone from the saffron party.
"Let them say anything for their enjoyment. We, the Congressmen, won't think about electoral victories and losses. We think about the sacrifice made by our elders during the freedom struggle, to give democracy and a constitution to the country. Sonia Gandhi sacrificed power (PM post) and gave it to an economist like Manmohan Singh. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for this country," he said.
Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi went to jail for the sake of this country, he further pointed out, adding that, "A hundred years ago, Gandhi took over the leadership of the freedom struggle; today in these difficult times, Mallikarjun Kharge has taken the responsibility as the Congress President."
Shivakumar, responding to a question, said, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will also be attending the rally. "Both of us will go together (to the venue) from the Indira Gandhi Bhavan (in Delhi)."
He, however, did not wish to comment on any meeting with the Congress high command, including Soina Gandhi, on the issue of leadership change in Karnataka. Meanwhile, slogans calling Shivakumar the "next CM" were raised by his supporters as the Deputy CM left the Karnataka Bhavan.
