India Home Minister calls for calm

Amid concerns that fresh terrorist threats may cause international sportsmen to drop out of tournaments in India, Home Minister P Chidambaram said Wednesday adequate security would be provided to all visiting players.

Responding to a question on a recent warning by the chief of a Kashmiri militant organization that international sportsmen should not visit India, Chidambaram said: ""All security would be provided to players."

The Asia Times online newspaper claimed it had received a message Monday from Ilyas Kashmiri, chief of the militant Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, warning international players against visiting India. Kashmiri's outfit is said to be an operational arm of the al-Qaeda.

"We warn the international community not to send their people to 2010 Hockey World Cup, IPL (Indian Premier League cricket) and Commonwealth Games ... Nor should their people visit India - if they do, they will be responsible for the consequences," the message reportedly said.

The mail came two days after a terrorist bomb blast in a bakery popular with foreign visitors in the southern Indian city of Pune.

Eleven people died in the blast which was the first significant terrorist attack in India after the assault by 10 gunmen in financial hub Mumbai in November 2008.

New Zealand hockey officials said they were delaying departure of the national team for the World Cup in India as they further assessed the situation.

The hockey tournament is scheduled to be held in the Indian capital from February 28 to March 13.

"No one would be allowed to dictate terms to us," Chidambaram said at a press briefing after a security review meeting in Jammu, summer capital of India's northern Jammu and Kashmir state.

"Ilyas Kashmiri cannot dictate our course of action."

he disputed Kashmir region is divided into two parts, one administered by India and the other by Pakistan.

India has accused Pakistan of aiding and abetting separatist militants like Kashmiri. Pakistan denies the charge calling them freedom fighters.

India's Home Ministry on Monday reviewed security arrangements for four upcoming sporting events. Besides the hockey tournament, these are the Commonwealth Shooting Championship (February 17-28), the Indian Premier League cricket matches (March 13 to April 25) and the Commonwealth Games (October 3 to 14).

Federal Home Secretary GK Pillai said the government had put in place an elaborate arrangement for the shooting and hockey tournaments which are both to be held in Delhi.

"We are in close touch with security liaison officers of all countries that are coming here to participate. So far, all of them have seen the preparations done by the Delhi Police and the Home Ministry and they are quite satisfied."

Sportsmen have been wary of visiting Pakistan and India for tournaments after a spate of bombings in india in 2007 and 2008, the Mumbai incident and a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan's Lahore in March 2009.