NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday welcomed BCCI’s decision to instruct Shah Rukh Khan owned Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh player Mustafizur Rehman from their roster ahead of Indian Premier League.BJP leader Sangeet Som thanked BCCI for its decision and hailed it as a “victory of the Hindus of the entire nation.””Thanks to BCCI for its decision in view of the 100 crore Sanatanis of India,” Som said.”We said yesterday that cognisance will be taken of this matter because the sentiments of 100 crore people cannot be taken lightly. This is the victory of the Hindus of the entire nation,” he added.Earlier in the day, BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia said that the decision was taken “due to the recent development going all across.””Due to the recent developments which is going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their player Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh from their squad and BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement,” Saikia told news agency ANI.Recently, spiritual leaders had launched a broadside against KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan in context of the recent targeting of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Devkinandan Thakur criticised Shah Rukh Khan after KKR acquired right-arm pacer Mustafizur for a massive amount of Rs 9.20 crore during the IPL auction.”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.Meanwhile, Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the Chief Imam, All India Imam Organisation, also demanded that Shah Rukh Khan apologise to the nation for inclusion of the Bangladesh pacer in the KKR Squad.Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi said that KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan should give a statement condemning the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh and also remove Mustafizur from his team.”Does Shah Rukh Khan have no information regarding the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh?… It is a matter of regret that despite having information regarding the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh, KKR selected a Bangladeshi player in the IPL auction. Shah Rukh Khan should apologise to the nation…He should also give a statement condemning the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh,” Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi told ANI.Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam had urged KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan to remove the Bangladeshi player from his team before the before he becomes a target.”When the entire country is enraged and angry at Bangladesh, anyone in India who has even the slightest connection to Bangladeshis could become a target of that anger. If there is a Bangladeshi in Shah Rukh Khan’s team, before he becomes a major target, we request that Shah Rukh Khan remove the Bangladeshi from his team. This will be for his own good and will also protect India’s interests,” Sanjay Nirupam told ANI.Reacting to the controversy, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said the focus should be on who permitted Bangladeshi players to be included in the IPL auction in the first place.”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,” she said.This comes as Bangladesh saw a series of violent incidents targeting members if Hindu community. Last month, two Hindu youths were lynched in separate incidents. Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker in Mymensingh district, was beaten to death over alleged blasphemy charges on December 18, after which his body was reportedly hanged and set on fire.In another case, a Hindu youth identified as Amrit Mondal was lynched in Hosendanga village of Kalimohor Union in Rajbari’s Pangsha sub-district over an alleged extortion dispute.These incidents have triggered widespread outrage and condemnation from political leaders, religious organisations and minority groups in both Bangladesh and India.
