Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Unhappy with Sharad Pawar’s meeting with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray over the IPL security issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan Monday said his government was “competent” to provide security to cricketers and there was “no need to take permission from any other authority”.
“I do not think there is need to take permission from any other authority in the state. The government is competent, it is the authority and there cannot be two authorities in the state,” Chavan told reporters here.

The remarks come a day after Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sunday met Thackeray to urge him not to oppose the participation of Australian cricketers in the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).

Pawar, who is the International Cricket Council (ICC) president-elect and also president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, reportedly requested the Shiv Sena chief to withdraw his party’s threat against Australian players after a spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia.

An irked Chavan, who heads a coalition Congress-NCP government, said: “There cannot be an extra-constitutional authority (in a state).”

But he refused to comment on why Pawar met Thackeray on the issue.

“Don’t ask me. Better if you ask Pawar about his motive behind the meeting with Thackeray.”

He said his government would perform its duty “as expected”.

Chavan also snubbed the Shiv Sena saying “anybody who tries to take the law in their hands, tries to perpetrate any violent incident, the state government will take a stern view and initiate legal action.”