The All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey has claimed that the Durand Cup match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal shouldn’t have been cancelled on Sunday, August 18 and said that matches should be continued to be held in Kolkata. The first Kolkata derby of the season was set to unfold on Sunday, before the game between the arch-rivals was called off.
The reason given by the Kolkata police was that it was to prevent disruptive protests. However, fans of both teams would join hands on Sunday as they protested against the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata. Chaubey would arrive at the scene on Sunday and told reporters that if half of the police personnel deployed outside the stadium were present for the game, it could have gone on smoothly.
“The first derby match of the season between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan was scheduled to be held today and the number of police personnel that has been deployed here to stop this match and to arrest the supporters who had come to watch the match, if even half of them were deployed then this match would have taken place today,” said Chaubey.
Chaubey also said that the matches of Mohun Bagan and East bengal should remain in Kolkata and shouldn’t be shifted to Jamshedpur. The AIFF president feels that there will be no issues inside the stadium if the match is held in Kolkata.
“East Bengal, Mohun Bagan matches should be held here. I believe that football is not involved in any politics, it is above all religion, caste. I am fully confident that if you organize the match here, there will be no ruckus, no unrest in the football ground, I am fully confident that all the people will support their teams peacefully but the match should not be shifted from here,” said Chaubey.
Chaubey would end by saying that the football fans also wanted the culprit in the murder of the trainee doctor to be caught and punished.
“The people of football also want that the culprit should be caught as soon as possible and the culprit should be punished,” said Chaubey.
After the cancellation of the game, both teams were awarded one point each.
