Chidambaram hits out at BCCI, Narendra Modi

New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram Monday hit back at the Indian cricket board, saying the comments of its president on shifting the Indian Premier League (IPL) out of the country were 'unwarranted'.

'The comments of BCCI (Board of Cricket for Control in India) president Shashank Manohar that it was because of the attitude of the government for not providing security forces that the organisers were forced to take the event out of India are unwarranted,' Chidambaram told journalists here.

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'As of now only three states and one union territory have given in writing on providing security for the rescheduled dates, and the rest are yet to reply. Meanwhile, the IPL organisers took a decision to shift the tournament.'

On Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's comments that lack of security for the high-profile IPL was a 'national shame', Chidambaram retorted that the communal riots of 2002 in the state were a 'national shame.'

'What is a national shame? Most people in India think that the Gujarat communal riots of 2002 were a national shame,' Chidambaram said.

'The Supreme Court rejected the investigation of the Gujarat government and constituted a special investigation to reinvestigate the killings. The government failed to punish the perpetrators of the crime,' he said.

The IPL organisers Sunday decided to shift the big bucks tournament out of India citing security reasons.