IPL Ticket Advisory: No CAA/NRC protest banners allowed during matches
New Delhi, Apr 2: The spectators coming to watch IPL matches in four cities including Delhi, Mohali, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, will not be allowed to carry protest banners related to Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), according to a specific advisory.
'Paytm Insider', which is the ticketing partner of Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, has listed a few 'prohibited items' and one of them is banners related to CAA/NRC Protest.
It is understood that the advisory has been issued by the franchises, that manage the ticketing business of their respective home matches.
It is usually done in consultation with the BCCI as marquee sporting events do not allow any publicity of any sensitive political or policy issues.
The Citizen Amendment Act, 2019, better known as CAA was passed by the Parliament of India on December 12, 2019.
The CAA allowed minorities like Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists in Islamic countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to get Indian citizenship, if they had arrived in the country before December, 2014.
The law didn't grant eligibility to Muslims from these countries.
It had sparked protest across the country as the amendment was seen as discriminatory on the basis of religion.
The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register of all Indian citizens whose creation was mandated by the 2003 amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
Its purpose is to document all the legal citizens of India so that the illegal immigrants can be identified and deported.
With fans set to set to return to the stadium after missing the action from the venues for three seasons due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Indian board as well as the franchises perhaps wanted to ensure that no posters or banners are seen inside the stadium which are of sensitive nature.
The specific advisory was found while trying to book tickets for home matches of Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab and Hyderabad.
In case of CSK, the advisory of prohibited items didn't have this specific diktat as it was more generic.
When a senior DDCA official was asked about the advisory, he told PTI, "The ticketing is completely a franchise's prerogative. We are just facilitators, who provide them with the venue. We have no role in ticketing advisory."
A representative of an IPL franchise said that any advisory on prohibited items is always prepared in consultation with the BCCI.
"Any franchise prepares its list of do's and don't's on the advice of the BCCI and hence if such an advisory has gone, there is approval from the board or else it wouldn't appear on the website," said one of franchise officials on conditions of anonymity.
While there was no official comment available from the BCCI, sources in the know of things said that the protocols that even FIFA follows during its mega event has been adhered to while issuing the advisory.
This is also a way to avoid any untoward incident in the stadium.
"Please check FIFA guidelines for the last year's World Cup football in Qatar. According to Fifa rules, "political, religious or personal messages or slogans" are banned," a BCCI official tracking developments said.
According to a source, the BCCI is wary that one might wear a T-shirt under his shirt or just draw a poster with content that could be politically sensitive in nature.
A diktat like this will prevent any such activity as if anyone does otherwise, he/she could then be held for breach of in-stadia rules.
It must be mentioned that during the FIFA World Cup, at least seven captains from different nations wanted to wear 'One Love' armband with rainbow flag to protest against Qatar's law on same-sex relationship.
But once FIFA threatened to show yellow cards to players for wearing such arm-bands, the teams changed the plans.
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FIR against Haryana BJP chief in gang-rape case: Cong seeks his removal, questions PM's 'silence'
New Delhi, Jan 15: The Congress Wednesday slammed the BJP over the FIR registered against the party's Haryana unit chief for alleged gang rape, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi must answer why the accused has still not been removed from the post despite such a serious allegation against him.
Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli and a singer were booked after a woman alleged that she was raped by them in a hotel in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. Police have registered an FIR against the two men, officials said.
According to the complainant, the two men made videos of the act and threatened to kill the victim if she informed anyone about the incident.
Addressing a press conference here, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba alleged that the Haryana BJP state president was involved in the girl's gang rape on the pretext of getting her a permanent government job.
She claimed BJP leaders have been involved in committing crimes against women earlier too.
BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh was accused of sexual harassment and BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was accused of rape, while in Karnataka, the BJP gave a poll ticket to "mass rapist" Prajwal Revanna and the Prime Minister went to campaign for him, she said.
"BJP leaders are able to muster the courage to commit sexual harassment because their party is standing with them," she said, alleging that the prime minister's 'Beti Bachao' slogan is a sham.
"The truth is that daughters have to be saved from BJP leaders only. The Congress government will not allow injustice to happen to any daughter," Lamba said.
Demanding that Badoli be removed from his post, the Congress leader said, "BJP president J P Nadda ji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, the law is in your hands. You create pressure, hence no action is taken against the criminals and daughters do not get justice."
"The BJP will have to answer how their (Haryana) state president is still in his post after such a serious allegation. The prime minister, home minister, BJP Mahila Morcha, BJP's national president and big leaders must answer," she said.
"On one hand, an FIR has been filed against Haryana BJP president on rape charges... in Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader Ajit Pal Singh Chauhan has been arrested for raping a woman. In such an environment, the Women’s Commission, which has the responsibility of providing justice to women, is silent. The daughters of the country are demanding justice, but PM Modi is silent," Lamba said.
Referring to the BJP's Delhi Assembly poll candidate Ramesh Bidhuri's remark that he will make roads which will be like Congress leader "Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks", Lamba said the comments prove how much respect his party has for women.
"Bidhuri's eyes are more on the cheeks of mothers, sisters and daughters than on the roads. Women protested against the lowly statement, after which he had to apologize. However, Bidhuri is continuously making objectionable statements," she said.
The BJP is silent over Bidhuri's statements and is promoting such language instead, the Mahila Congress chief claimed.
