Indian Premier League 2014: Won't be able to provide adequate security, says Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde
Sources say the Home Ministry has conveyed to BCCI that it would be able to provide adequate security personnel for cash-rich Indian Premier League only after the general elections which are expected to be over by mid-May.
The government on Friday said it will not be able to provide fool-proof security to Indian Premier League matches due to the coming Lok Sabha polls. (Read: IPL matches likely to shift to South Africa after government's security concerns)
"Due to general elections, it will be difficult to provide adequate security to IPL matches," Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told reporters in Delhi.
Sources said the Home Ministry has conveyed to BCCI that it would be able to provide adequate security personnel only after the general elections which are expected to be over by mid-May. The final decision is likely to be taken at the IPL governing council meeting on February 28 at Bhubaneswar.
More than 1.20 lakh central paramilitary force personnel, in addition to state police forces, are expected to be deployed for the multi-phased Lok Sabha polls which are likely to be held in April-May.
The sources said that the Home Ministry has started preparing for the massive exercise of mobilising 1.2 lakh personnel from different paramilitary forces to be deployed for poll duties.
Paramilitary forces are also deployed in Naxal-affected states, Jammu and Kashmir and the north eastern states.