‘AAP behind exclusion of Pb from WC venue list’

Chandigarh: Punjab's leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa has held the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government responsible for the exclusion of Mohali cricket stadium from the list of venues selected for hosting ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup-2023 matches. The Congress leader also accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of discriminating against Punjab.Bajwa said the AAP government and the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) should have sped up construction work of the new stadium, knowing that the World Cup was around the corner. He also said the AAP government had failed to improve the law-and-order situation in the state, which was another reason for the stadium's exclusion. "Organised crime in the state has been on the rise ever since the AAP got hold of power in the state," Bajwa said, adding, "The AAP must explain whether it is due to security reasons that the only international cricket stadium in the state has been excluded from the list of venues for hosting World Cup-2023 matches." Bajwa said the exclusion of Mohali stadium would hurt the state's tourism industry and economy. He also questioned the appointment of Amarjit Mehta, a Bhatinda-based car dealer with no experience in cricket, as the new PCA chief. "The BCCI should have been more mindful of the sentiments of the people of Punjab," Bajwa said.