‘What is the hidden agenda here? If the price is right, these people are ready to sell the country,’ AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha says
NEW DELHI – The Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has come in for sharp criticism for giving the go-ahead to the India-Pakistan cricket match in the ongoing Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Berating the government over the issue, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday accused the BJP rulers of compromising on nationalism.
Cricket teams of the two arch rivals will clash at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (September 14).
Playing the rashtrawad card, AAP national convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal wondered why the match was being allowed to to be held despite heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
“Why does the prime minister feel the need to hold a cricket match with Pakistan? The entire nation is saying this match should not take place. Then why is it being organised? Is this also being done under (US President) Trump’s pressure? How much more will the prime minister bend before Trump?” Kejriwal posted on X.
Senior AAP leader and Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia said cricket should not be placed above the sacrifice of soldiers.
“Since when has the craze for cricket become bigger than the blood of our martyrs? When the sindoor (vermilion) of our sisters has been wiped away, what is the need to hold a match with Pakistan?” he asked.
The party’s MLA, Sanjeev Jha, alleged that Pakistani players had shared objectionable social media posts disrespecting Indian women and the nation’s dignity.
“Can we play cricket with people who disrespect us in such a manner? Those who claim to be nationalists are silent today. What is the hidden agenda here? If the price is right, these people are ready to sell the country,” Jha said, warning clubs not to screen the match.
Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar said AAP had burnt an effigy of the Pakistani team to register its protest.
“Bloodshed and cricket cannot coexist. The BJP must end its double standards. We cannot play with those who have killed our people, whether in India or Dubai,” he said, urging the BCCI to withdraw the Indian team and calling on cricketers to boycott the game. He warned of nationwide protests if the match went ahead.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders also criticised the Modi government questioning why it had cleared the sporting fixture while bilateral relations remained tense.
Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), joined in the condemnation on Saturday, calling the India-Pakistan match an “insult to national sentiments” while Indian soldiers continue to sacrifice their lives on the borders.
He questioned how “blood and cricket can flow together”, referencing a line from Prime Minister Modi that “blood and water cannot flow together.”
Thackeray accused the government of doing “business in patriotism,” saying the decision to play is driven by financial gains.
He announced that women workers of his party will stage a symbolic protest across Maharashtra, collecting sindoor from households to send it to Prime Minister’s Office.
