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Special security for Azhar, Tendulkar and Wadekar

Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin, ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar and chairman of selection committee Ajit Wadekar will be provided security in the wake of the recent vandalism, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde said Tuesday.

Munde, who also holds the home portfolio, said security measures for all players have been stepped up. An armed squad will be with Azharuddin, Tendulkar and Wadekar till the situation normalises.

''Whatever happened was serious, and this step is being taken to prevent such type of incidents in future,'' he said.

The Indian team is currently touring New Zealand.

The security cover follows state Sport Minister Prataprao Jadhav's statement that either Indian players boycott the tour or be ready to face consequences. Chief Minister Manohar Joshi has taken a serious view of the statement. He felt that Jadhav should not have said that without consulting party leaders.

Asked about Monday's ransacking of the Board of Cricket Control in India office, he said the police are investigating the matter. No arrests have been made so far.

The Shiv Sena, for its part, denied that it had anything to do with the attack.

Asked whether he had visited the BCCI office, Munde replied in the negative. The incident, he said, was 'bad' and should not have taken place - but it was not a failure of the home ministry or a law and order problem.

It is learnt that BCCI officials are meeting Munde Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue.

Asked whether the attack was to provoke the Bharatiya Janata Party, specially when Union home minister L K Advani was in Bombay, he replied in the negative and added that it was yet to be ascertained whether the culprits were Shiv Sainiks.

The culprits, irrespective of party affiliations, would be dealt with firmly, he assured.

Asked whether security for Azhar and others was because Advani ordered it, Munde said no, the Union home minister hadn't issued any specific instructions to him 'in this regard' during their meeting Monday night.

He refused to answer questions about his party's relationship with its ruling partner, the Shiv Sena, in the aftermath of the BCCI incident.

About the crucial high powered joint co-ordination committee meeting of the two parties scheduled for January 24, Munde said any issue could come up for discussion. Free electricity and the cricket controversy was likely to be discussed, he added.

UNI

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