Blaming the UPA government for the shifting of IPL to South Africa, BJP in Himachal Pradesh has said the high-profile event could have bolstered India's economy in the present scenario of global recession.
"IPL could have proved as a boom for the country in the present scenario of global recession as it could have brought a lot of money to the country from the tournament," state BJP Media convenor Ashok Kapadihya said in Shimla.
Kapadihya said according to reports the country that host the second edition of IPL earned $200 million, which could have come in India's kitty.
The state lost economic activities worth about Rs 300 crore as it was tipped to host four IPL matches at Dharamsala, he said, adding it could have also given a boost to the tourism sector.
The BJP leader also questioned whether the Congress-led ruling coalition will move out from Delhi national events like Independence Day and Republic Day if there is a threat from terrorists.
"Out of fear of terrorism will the Congress-led UPA government likewise shift Independence Day and Republic Day from national capital Delhi to some other place," Kapadihya said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}"Out of fear of terrorism will the Congress-led UPA government likewise shift Independence Day and Republic Day from national capital Delhi to some other place," Kapadihya said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}Instead of taking steps to curb terrorism and strengthen the security scenario, the UPA government gave a "weak response" towards hosting the IPL in the country due to which it had to go to South Africa, depriving crores of cricket fans of the charm of the T20 tournament, he added.