In line with police assets, probabilities of pro-Palestine demonstrations via a category of spectators on the stadium brought about enforcement of this last-minute ‘get dressed code’.
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Aditya Venkataram used to be amongst the ones whose T-shirt made it to a aggregate of lightless outfits outdoor the stadium.
“There was no advisory as to any colour restriction for the match. It was absurd that the police told me to wear a T-shirt of a colour other than black and remove my black cap. I had bought an India jersey and wore it on my black T-shirt, but they wouldn’t allow me entry until I discarded the black T-shirt,” the 21-year-old mentioned.
Police test banners & placards at stadium
Upper ups inda series bandide (orders from the upper ups),” was all a policeman on duty would share when asked about this sudden diktat against black clothing. “There must had been some kind of a verbal exchange. It gave the look of fanatics had been being handled as an afterthought. It wasn’t like we had been looking to build hassle,” said Purujit Ponnappa, a chartered accountant, who too was forced to discard his black T-shirt. Women sporting black tops too were told to change into a different colour before they could enter.
A senior police officer, who didn’t need to be named, instructed TOI: “There have been wisdom inputs about some pro-Palestine supporters having made up our minds to sentence the Israeli assault on Palestine via dressed in lightless [at the stadium during the match].” He further said: “There have been messages doing the rounds on social media with appeals to take part in an indication all over the fit and thereby draw world consideration. It used to be on this backdrop that directions had been issued to officials deployed in and across the stadium not to permit the ones dressed in lightless.” Even banners and placards were checked for any message with a political or pro-Palestine overture before those were allowed inside.
The security checks were not totally out of place, though, as some people did come to the stadium with Palestinian flags painted on their faces. While some managed to sneak past security unnoticed, few others were told to wash their faces before being allowed entry to the stands.
Police, however, clarified that they did not impose any blanket ban on black clothing and were only trying to screen likely mischief-mongers.
While senior citizens in black were allowed inside, youngsters were told to remove black T-shirts, jackets and caps before entering the stadium, police said. Pakistan team jerseys were sparingly available at the match venue, but many who managed to get those were turned away at the gate.
“I used to be instructed I received’t be allowed to go into, dressed in a Pakistan jersey. So, I purchased a Chennai Super Kings jersey from a side road supplier and needed to renounce the Pakistan jersey I used to be first of all dressed in,” rued Rakshak, a Babar Azam fan. Police, though, refuted complaints that Pakistani jerseys were not allowed into the stadium.
