Restriction on Displaying CAA/NRC Protest Banners at Matches

Spectators attending IPL matches in Delhi, Mohali, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad will not be allowed to carry protest banners related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), according to an advisory issued by the franchises that manage the ticketing business of their respective home matches. The advisory has been issued in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is in line with the protocols followed by marquee sporting events that do not allow publicity of any sensitive political or policy issues. The CAA, passed by the Parliament of India on December 12, 2019, allows minorities like Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, and Buddhists in Islamic countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to obtain Indian citizenship if they arrived in the country before December 2014. However, the law does not grant eligibility to Muslims from these countries, sparking protests across India. The NRC is a register of all Indian citizens whose creation was mandated by the 2003 amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Its purpose is to document all legal citizens of India so that illegal immigrants can be identified and deported. As fans return to stadiums after missing action from venues for three seasons due to COVID-19 restrictions, the BCCI and franchises want to ensure that no posters or banners of sensitive nature are seen inside the stadium. The advisory was found while trying to book tickets for home matches of Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, and Hyderabad. The BCCI is wary that someone might wear a T-shirt under their shirt or draw a poster with content that could be politically sensitive in nature.