New Delhi, Jan 1 Spiritual guru Devkinandan Thakur has sparked a political debate after criticising Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and its co-owner, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, for purchasing a Bangladeshi player, Mustafizur Rahman, for the upcoming IPL season.
His remarks have drawn mixed reactions from political leaders across parties, with most stressing that sports should be kept separate from political and diplomatic issues.
Speaking to IANS, Devkinandan Thakur, on Wednesday, accused KKR and Shah Rukh Khan of ignoring the alleged persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. He said that Hindus and followers of Sanatan Dharma, who helped make the actor a star, were deeply hurt by the decision to include a Bangladeshi player in an Indian team despite reports of atrocities against Hindus in the neighbouring country.
“Devotees of Sanatan and Hindus see that, without considering that Hindus in Bangladesh are being killed, burnt alive and girls are being assaulted, a Bangladeshi player is being included in an Indian team,” Thakur said.
He further argued that the money spent on buying a Bangladeshi player should instead be used for India’s development or as compensation for the families of those killed in Bangladesh.
Reacting to the controversy, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Mohammad Iqbal Trumboo said that human rights violations must be condemned wherever they occur, but cautioned against mixing sports with politics.
“Wherever minorities are oppressed, in any country, we condemn it. Whether it is Hindus facing atrocities in Bangladesh or minorities facing oppression elsewhere, such acts should not happen and must be strongly denounced,” Trumboo said.
“As far as sports are concerned, if sports and politics remain separate, things will continue smoothly. The real need is that minorities should be protected and treated justly in every country.”
Congress leader Tariq Anwar also downplayed the controversy, stating that sports should not be influenced by political or diplomatic tensions.
“I don’t know the background of this issue, but sports should be kept separate. Similar discussions have come up earlier as well, including during tours abroad. Whether a player is from another country or someone is a film star, there should be no issue in such matters,” he said.
However, the BJP echoed Devkinandan Thakur’s sentiment. BJP MLA Karnail Singh said concerns over the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh were valid and questioned the intent behind supporting Bangladeshi players.
“If they are so concerned about Bangladeshi players, then they should go to Bangladesh themselves,” he remarked.
Religious leaders in Ujjain recently issued a stark warning to disrupt IPL cricket matches by damaging pitches if Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman is allowed to participate.
The threat stems from growing anger over recent violent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, particularly two brutal lynching incidents involving blasphemy allegations.
KKR has roped in Bangladesh's pacer Mustafizur Rahman for this year’s IPL at Rs 9.2 crore.
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