Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 2 : Amid the ongoing debate over remarks made by Hindu spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur against actor Shah Rukh Khan over the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the role of the BCCI and the ICC in allowing Bangladeshi players to be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction pool.
Reacting to the controversy, Shrinate said the focus should be on who permitted Bangladeshi players to be included in the IPL auction in the first place.
Speaking to ANI, she said, "First of all, I want to ask who put the Bangladeshi players in that pool. This question is for the BCCI and the ICC. Home Minister's son, Jay Shah, should answer who put the Bangladeshi players in the pool where IPL players are bought and sold, the pool where the players' auction takes place... he is the ICC's chief and the main decision-maker in cricket all around the world..."
Congress MP Tariq Anwar also reacted to the comment, saying, "It is not appropriate to talk about Shah Rukh Khan in this way. Shah Rukh Khan has made so many films that have a direct connection to patriotism, and he is a renowned and globally famous figure..."The
The Congress MP also pointed out that the inclusion of foreign players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) follows due process and approvals by the concerned authorities."If the cricket board has given permission, only then can Shah Rukh Khan bring in players from Bangladesh or any other country. Permission from the local cricket board is necessary; without it, it won't happen. So, first, we should decide whether we will allow such players into our country or not. Since this is an international event, international law applies there...," he added.
Earlier, Spiritual guru Devkinandan Thakur criticised Shah Rukh Khan over the inclusion of a Bangladesh player in his co-owned KKR team for the IPL. He sent sharp comments against the Bollywood actor and the management of the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Devkinandan Thakur stated that Hindus in Bangladesh were facing extreme atrocities.
"In Bangladesh, Hindus are being brutally murdered, their homes are being burned, and their sisters and daughters are being raped. After witnessing such brutal killings, how can someone be so heartless, especially someone who calls himself the owner of a team? How can he be so cruel as to include a cricketer from that very country in his team?" he said.
Thakur referred to the KKR owner's background, saying, "This country made you a hero, a superstar, and gave you so much power that you own a cricket team. What were you before? You worked in a TV serial, earning Rs 500-1000 a day."He further added that the Hindu community had supported him and questioned how that "debt" was being repaid.
This comes after tensions surrounding the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh have been heightened. Dipu Chandra Das, a worker in a garment factory in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy charges, had his body hanged and set on fire on December 18, 2025.
Another Hindu youth identified as Amrit Mondal was lynched at Hosendanga village of Kalimohor union in Rajbari's Pangsha sub-district over an extortion allegation. Many protests broke out across the country, calling for strict action against the neighbouring country.
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