Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi (right) and BJP MLA from Ranchi C.P. Singh wave to the crowd during the party?s campaign in Ranchi. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Feb. 7: Pervez Musharraf had bowled a bouncer by declaring that Pakistani cricketers will not visit Gujarat. The Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi today dispatched it over the fence while addressing public meetings in support of BJP candidates in the state.

?Arey Miyan (Musharraf), parajay ka itna dar hai kya Gujarat mein? (Are you really so scared of getting a beating in Gujarat?),? asked Modi at a series of election meetings in Jharkhand to the great delight of his audience. He was referring to the Pakistan president?s reported statement that Pakistani cricketers would not visit Gujarat.

Playing to the gallery, Modi prompted loud applause when he referred to the wicketkeeper-batsman from Ranchi, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. ?This lad from Ranchi alone will demolish the Pakistani team.?

?And if Pakistan does not want to play in Ahmedabad, then it should also stop playing in Kashmir,? he added.

Cricket and Mian Musharraf dominated the speeches. ?Recently more than 250 Pakistanis spent three-four days in Ahmedabad in connection with an international convention of the Lion?s Club. They all had a pleasant stay and had no occasion to complain. There were two other occasions when Pakistani delegations visited Ahmedabad, including a medical conference. Pakistani team also took part in the special olympics held in Gujarat. They were all our guests. Did they face any problem??

?But Musharraf is scared of defeat in Gujarat. Aaiye do-do hath karneke liye taiyar ho jaaiye (Come on! Get ready for a one-to-one). Gujartat?s soil is ready to you. Apki bahanebaji nahin chalegi, (your excuses will not do)? he declared.

Modi also came down heavily on the UPA government for its failure to protest Musharraf?s statement. ?It has hurt our national pride and is an insult of Gujarat. The statement should have been condemned by the Centre,? he said, adding, ?if you (read UPA) cannot handle the issue, leave it to us (read NDA)?. If the central government succumbs to Pakistani pressure, it indicates how weak the UPA government is, Modi later told newsmen. He also alleged that through cricket, hardliners in Pakistan want to rake up the issue of Gujarat riots and Kashmir on international platforms.

Ridiculing JMM chief Shibu Soren, Modi said: ?The man who should be in jail is day-dreaming of adorning the chief minister?s chair.?

There is a conspiracy, he said, to build a ?red corridor? (of Naxalites) from Pashupati to Tirupati. BJP alone is in a position to combat extremism because of its strong commitment and nationalism, he said.