The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Monday sought to play down party president and union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's meeting with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, saying it was about the IPL and had 'no political meaning'.

'It was about the IPL (Indian Premiere League),' NCP spokesman D.P. Tripathi told IANS.

Pawar's daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule told reporters in Pune that the visit was 'more of a personal call' as the two families have known each other for years.

'Do not read too much into it,' she said.

Sule said the Maharashtra government was fully capable of providing security to players during IPL matches 'but some issues can be solved at a personal level'.

Tripathi clarified that the thrust of the meeting was that Pawar wanted to convey to Thackeray that politics should be kept away from cricket. He said Pawar was accompanied by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI ) president Shashank Manohar and wanted the Shiv Sena to withdraw its opposition to Australian players playing in Mumbai in the IPL.

NCP leader and union Minister Praful Patel told reporters that Pawar went to meet Thackeray so that 'cricket could be played in a congenial environment'.