Blacklist not complete! The enforcement of the ‘ban’ was not universal across the stands.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Not for the first time in India, fans at a sporting venue were asked not to wear black attire, lest it be construed as a mark of protest.

Supporters who thronged the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday for the Australia-Pakistan World Cup match were in for a shock when they were asked to remove black shirts and caps before entering, though not uniformly enforced across stands.

The reason

Police sources said that with the Israel-Palestine issue dominating global headlines, and this being a Pakistan match, black costumes were disallowed.

It is to be noted that the city had witnessed a flash protest on Monday demanding the condemnation of the attack on Palestine. “They didn’t allow me to wear a black shirt,” said a fan who wished to remain anonymous.

“So I bought an India jersey and wore it. They didn’t give any reason. Just said it was an order from the higher-ups.”

It was also learnt that cops combed the stalls selling merchandise around the stadium and asked them to not sell anything that was black.

The city had seen a similar rule in place two years ago during the Khelo India University Games closing ceremony which was graced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other prominent politicians.

In 2018, the Chepauk stadium in Chennai also saw such entry restrictions amid demonstrations over the Cauvery issue.