The ruling BJP has defended the cricket match between India and Pakistan.
File Photo: IANS
As arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to clash in the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, calls to boycott the match, in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, have grown louder. Opposition parties are slamming the ruling BJP for playing with the people’s sentiments.
Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has asked pubs and restaurants in Delhi not to screen the live telecast of the match.
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The AAP questioned the government’s stance, asking why cricket and terrorism are being linked.
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“For the Modi government, the business of Home Minister Amit Shah’s son is more important than the honor of the country,” the party said on X.
AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bhardwaj stated that women’s wing leaders of the party have been asked to bring “Sindoor” to the party office, which will be delivered to the “right place.”
“Today at 2 PM, all the sisters of our women’s wing will come to the party office with sindoor in protest against the cricket match with Pakistan. This sindoor will be delivered to the right place,” he said.
He said that the AAP completely opposes the cricket match scheduled between India and Pakistan. “This is the same Pakistan that, only a few days ago, entered Kashmir, spilled the blood of dozens of our fellow Indians, murdered them, and widowed our mothers and sisters. Yet today, the BJP government at the Centre is preparing to play cricket with these very Pakistanis. This is an act of utter shame,” he said.
Doubling down on the attack, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the India vs Pakistan match is being allowed because the business of Home Minister Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah, is connected with cricket.
“The India-Pakistan match is being held for betting and business. Today, Jay Shah, the son of ICC Chairman Amit Shah Ji, is there, and if he wants, this match won’t happen,” Singh said.
Jay Shah is the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Singh further cautioned the youth of the country, claiming that their emotions were being exploited. “You are being beaten with batons, while their children are doing business worth thousands of crores. Meanwhile, the youth of the country is being misled,” he added.
Is India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match being played under Trump’s pressure? Asks Kejriwal
Asserting that there was no need to play cricket with Pakistan, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal asked if the match was being played under US President Donald Trump’s pressure.
“The entire country is saying that this match should not happen. Then why is this match being organized? Is this also being done under Trump’s pressure? How much more will you bow down before Trump?” Kejriwal said while addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Several other opposition parties have called for a boycott of the India vs Pakistan cricket match, calling it an insult to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
“This cricket match is an insult to national sentiments. Should we be playing cricket with Pakistan while our soldiers sacrifice their lives on the borders?” asked Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray.
Thackeray’s party has also planned protests against the match across Maharashtra.
BJP defends cricket with Pakistan in multilaterals
The ruling BJP has defended the cricket match between India and Pakistan.
“In a multilateral tournament organized by the ACC or ICC, we have to play as it is compulsory for all countries. If we do not take part, we will be eliminated from the tournament, as the opposition will get the points. But we do not play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan, and we will not play with them until they stop sponsoring terrorism,” said BJP MP and former BCCI President Anurag Thakur.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said that India should not withdraw from the field and the match should go on.
“Matches used to be played even during Congress rule. There’s politics over cricket. Their patriotism awakens when a match with Pakistan is played. They have boycotted trade. We have to fight Pakistan. We fought them on our land and defeated them. We beat them on their soil in Pakistan. We will defeat them on foreign soil too. We should not withdraw from the field,” Ghosh said.
Fans divided over India vs Pakistan Asia Cup encounter
Meanwhile, cricket fans are divided over the match. Some argue that the India-Pakistan match should not happen as it is wrong to play against a country that killed our people, while others are in favor of the match and want India to perform well.
“This match should not be played. Such a big incident took place in our country, but still, we are playing a cricket match against them. According to me, we should boycott this completely,” said Asgar Ali, a cricket enthusiast from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
“As PM Modi said, blood and water cannot flow together; similarly, the match between India and Pakistan should not be taking place. We are boycotting this match; we do not want to watch it,” said Rana, a resident of Vadodara in Modi’s home state Gujarat.
In contrast, Praveen Kashyap, a cricket enthusiast in Delhi, said, “This is a match that everyone would want to watch… People have a special affinity for sports. Everybody wants to watch the India-Pakistan match.”
Another cricket fan said, “Under sportsmanship spirit, the match should go on. But since there was a war, it should not have been played. But since this is the Asia Cup, the match should be played.”
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