Not answerable to Thakur for shifting venue of Indo-Pak match:

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today hit back at BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, for "blaming" him for the change in the venue of India-Pakistan T-20 World Cup match from Dharamsala to Kolkata, saying he was not "answerable" to the BJP MP.
Asserting that he never opposed the match or refused to provide security for it, the chief minister said the resistance to the match came from the families of martyrs and ex-servicemen.
"I don't have to prove my nationalism and love for the nation to anyone, especially to Anurag Thakur," Singh said, adding "I find no reason to answer to BCCI secretary as it were the people, the ex-servicemen and relatives of the martyrs from the state who had opposed the match between the two countries."

"The killing of army jawans from Himachal Pradesh in the Pathankot airbase attack and later in Pampore in Jammu and Kashmir besides many others, who had laid down their lives fighting Pakistan-backed terrorists in various battles and encounters, enraged the people of state and a large number of ex-servicemen from the region.
"Senior BJP leaders too raised their voice against the match to be held in Himachal Pradesh," he said.
Thakur was more interested in holding the cricket match between India and Pakistan rather than respecting the sentiments of martyrs' families, Singh alleged.

The chief minister said the state government never refused to provide security for the match and it was the decision of International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI, to shift the venue.

The state government was capable of providing security to the players, both within the stadium and outside. Itwill not resort to lathicharge or fire tear gas shells on those opposing the match, he said.
Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar had also written to the Prime Minister against holding the Indo-Pak T-20 match in Dharamsala and Rakesh Pathania, a close associate of former Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal vehemently opposed the match, Singh said.
Senior officers of the state, at a meeting with the officials of Ministry of Home Affairs, never refused to provide security, but keeping in mind the sentiments of the families of the martyrs, they clarified the stand of the government to MHA.

The parents of Kargil war heroes, Saurabh Kalia and Vikram Batra had also opposed holding of the match between India and Pakistan but why did the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) not try to have a dialogue with them, the chief minister asked.
Terming the 'Tiranga Yatra' as a "childish" decision, he said that it would have been better if the BCCI secretary carried the Pakistan flag also.
Thakur had resorted to "gimmicks" like 'Tiranga Yatra' earlier as well and this in no way proves that he was the only nationalist, the chief minister said.
HPCA was a "money minting" company for Thakur and the loss he was referring to in monetary terms (due to the shift in venue), seems to be his "personal loss and his own assessment", Singh alleged.