Asaduddin Owaisi (ANI photo)
NEW DELHI: AIMIM supremo and MP Asaduddin Owaisi launched a sharp attack on the BJP over India’s upcoming Asia Cup cricket clash with Pakistan, questioning why the government allowed the match despite the recent Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terror attack. He demanded clarity on whether the monetary gains from the game outweighed the loss of human lives.”My question to the chief minister of Assam, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and all of them is that you don’t have the power to refuse to play a cricket match against Pakistan, which asked for the religion of our 26 citizens in Pahalgam and shot them…” Owaisi said, speaking to the media.The AIMIM leader also asked whether the BJP considered the revenue from the match more valuable than the lives lost in the attack.”We ask the Prime Minister, when you said that blood and water cannot flow together, dialogue and terrorism cannot happen together, then how much money will the BCCI get from one cricket match, Rs 2000 crore, Rs 3000 crore? Is the value of money more than the lives of our 26 citizens? This is what the BJP should tell… We stood with those 26 citizens yesterday as well, we stand with them today, and we will stand with them tomorrow as well. ..” he said.Owaisi, who was part of the delegation formed for Operation Sindoor’s global outreach despite being a prominent opposition figure, said the government’s stand was inconsistent.The anger over India facing Pakistan in the tournament has been fuelled by the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 tourists were killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Calls have grown for boycotting the match against Pakistan.Earlier, Congress leader Abhishek Dutt had also criticised the decision to go ahead with the game, saying it contradicted the government’s stated policy of “no talks with terror.””On one hand, you talk about Operation Sindoor, you say no talks with terror, no trade with terror. Our delegation went to foreign countries. What message are you trying to give by playing a match with Pakistan today?” he asked.
