JAMSHEDPUR, February 9: It has been blown out of proportion,'' was how cricketer, Mohammed Azharuddin, reacted to the controversy over his alleged outburst that ``all the people of Bihar are thieves''.``All I said was that the public should not enter the stadium. The players' safety is at stake. We entertain the people. But, in turn, we get abuses from them,'' the Indian skipper said after the end of the Hyderabad-Bihar Ranji Trophy Super League match at the Keenan Stadium here on Sunday.``They abused my family. They also abused me. They even called me `chor'. How long can one keep quiet?'' Azhar asked. ``They snatched my bat. They snatched away my cap. If they had asked me, I would have given it. But there is some sentiment attached to the cap,'' Azhar said. The cap was reportedly snatched from him while he was returning to the dressing room from nets on Friday evening.When asked whether a person of his stature should have exercised some restraint, Azhar retorted, ``How long? How long should I keepquiet? When I was practising, some people were hurling abuses from behind. Will you keep quiet if your typewriter is snatched away?''He went on to add, ``The Press should also exercise some restraint. You people should also write about how badly we are treated by the public''.He then recalled an incident involving a photographer in Bangalore. ``I had never touched his camera. But it was reported that I had broken his camera. I'm not an illiterate to do such things''.The latest about the cap controversy is that a local lawyer has filed a `defamation suit' against the Indian skipper. But Azhar denied having any knowledge of the development.Meanwhile, the case against Azharuddin, for alleged defamatory comments against the people of Bihar was adjourned by the first class judicial magistrate, l P Chowbey, till tomorrow for an order on whether to take cognizance of the offence here today.A case was filed against Azharuddin by an advocate, Shasikant Sinha, under section 500, 501, 502 (b), 505, and 506IPC for his derogatory remarks against the people of Bihar after losing a cap at the Keenan stadium here on Friday. Three witnesses - Lalan Singh, K K Mishra and Vinod Kumar Tiwary - were examined by the court today to support the case of the complainant.The lawyer of the complainant, S N Tiwary, a senior advocate, in Jamshedpur court, prayed for adjourning the date till tomorrow for further argument on the point of cognizance of the offences.On February 7, two other witnesses, R G Chowbey, and the complainant, S K Sinha, were examined by the court. Sinha said that a compromise was possible if Azharuddin appeared in person in the court and apologised.Referring to a similar incident in 1979 during a cricket match between the West Indies and the East Zone, he said that ace player, Alvin Kalicharan, had lost his cap, but he did not pass any remark.
