New Delhi, February 2: Opposition leaders have raised questions to the BCCI and the Indian government over India’s decision to play against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup despite recent terror attacks. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed that India should have refused to play from the start and criticized the government’s foreign policy direction.
Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh said that after ‘Operation Sindoor,’ Pakistan should have been barred from playing against India. He maintained that since the Pahalgam attack, India should have taken a firm stand against playing matches with Pakistan and that this issue should have been raised internationally.
He further criticized the ICC for not taking a stronger stance against Pakistan and urged both the Indian government and ICC to firmly assert that such behavior will not be tolerated.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi called the situation a “slap on the face” of BCCI, highlighting the repeated appeals from families of the 26 victims of terror attacks to avoid matches with Pakistan, stressing Pakistan’s role in global terrorism.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the politicization of the game on both sides as shameful and regretted the refusal to allow Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman to play in Kolkata. He called for urgent dialogue among all parties involved, suggesting ICC could provide a platform to resolve such issues and preserve cricket as a unifying sport.
TMC MP Kirti Azad stated Pakistan knew it could not win and acted to save its dignity. He argued that India missed a crucial opportunity by playing in the World Cup after the Pahalgam attack, which could have sent a strong message internationally against terrorism and Pakistan’s role as a major terror sponsor.
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