Build up to the third ODI between India and South Africa has been dominated by news of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) chief Hardik Patel’s threat to disrupt match.
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Both the Indian and South Africa teams arrived in the city on Thursday, and will train at the ground on Saturday. The stadium has an official seating capacity of 28,000. The BJP individuals, as per sources, will enter the stadium wearing T-shirts that will have Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture engraved on them.
“This is the 15th ODI that Rajkot is hosting and every procedure has been followed like before”.
Hardik has said that members of his community will raise slogans against the BJP government during the match to be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) stadium on October 18.
Despite terming such talk as “mere speculation”, Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the Saurashtra Cricket Association, could not give an account of the tickets sold. “The only difference this time is that we have asked for the identity cards of the ticket seekers”, said Shah. A three-tier security has been put in place at the stadium in view of caste crusader, Hardik Patel’s warning to hold protests outside the stadium, demanding reservation in the government jobs and educational institutions for the Patel community.
Hardik, making his aim clear, blamed the BJP for playing legislative issues over a cricket match. “SCA should clarify why they declared that all tickets are sold in spite of the fact that many tickets remain unsold”, Hardik said in a message circulated to media.
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“We have made adequate security arrangement for the One- day match and the department will deal with any untoward incident”, Rajkot-rural SP Gagandeep Gambhir said. According to reports, 2,100 policemen will be positioned at SCA Stadium in Khandheri on Jamnagar Road, which is double the numbers usually deployed in ODI security. The five-match series is tied 1-1 after India won the second game.
