New Delhi [India], July 27 : Congress leader Pawan Khera took a jibe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah amid the ongoing debate over the recently announced India vs Pakistan Asia Cup fixture under the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), asking whether the "boycott gang" will boycott the Home Minister or enjoy the match.
"On Kargil Day, the date for the India-Pakistan cricket match has been announced. A few days ago, the Home Minister stated that bombs and talks cannot go together. But cricket can go on because it's managed by his son. Will the boycott gang now boycott the Home Minister or enjoy the match?" Khera posed on X.
Speaking on the issue, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned the BCCI for allowing a match between India and Pakistan, saying that it would be a failure of the government if the match were held.
"If this match happens then it is not just the failure of the government, it is also the failure of BCCI that on one hand, we remember our armed forces and pay tribute to those who died fighting for the country on Kargil Diwas, and the same day, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, who is the president of PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board), announces that Asia Cup is going to be held in UAE," she said.
"I was a part of the parliamentary delegations under Mission Sindoor, and we had said only one thing: there can be no talk with terror. Till now, those terrorists of Pahalgam are still absconding. Finding them is our priority, it has to be... We have cancelled all other cultural relations, blocked their YouTube channels, and blocked them on Twitter. Then, in what way is BCCI being allowed to have a match between India and Pakistan? All of us, not only I, but every citizen of the country, will oppose this," Chaturvedi added.
Earlier, Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin weighed in on the most debated issue in cricket and said that whatever the government and board decide will happen.
"I always say that everything should happen, or if it does not happen, then it should not happen at all. If you're not playing bilateral matches, then you shouldn't play international events either, that's what I believe. But whatever the government and the board decide will happen," Azharuddin said.
The political tensions continue to cast a shadow over sporting engagements between India and Pakistan, with bilateral series being suspended for years.