Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on a TV show, while criticising India’s BJP-led government, and this has triggered a reaction from the ruling party.
Speaking with Pakistan’s Samma TV during a discussion on the recent India-Pakistan match as part of the Asia Cup, Shahid Afridi accused the BJP-led central government of using religion for politics.
“This government (In India) always plays the religion and Muslim-Hindu card to stay in power. This is a very bad mindset. And this will stay till they are the rulers… They have some good ones too. For instance, Rahul Gandhi has a very positive mindset. He believes in dialogue, taking people along” Afridi said, speaking in Urdu.
“Is one Israel not enough that you are trying to become another?” he said of India under Modi.
The comments did not go well with the BJP, which dragged the Congress into it and said it has an old “yaarana” (friendship) with Pakistan.
In a post on X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said, “Everyone who hates India finds an ally in Rahul Gandhi and Congress.”
He named wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed as another person who “praises Rahul Gandhi”, and mentioned George Soros, the Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist too. He further wrote: “INC = Islamabad National Congress.”
While neither the Congress nor Rahul Gandhi or Afridi reacted, Poonawala further alleged that the Congress echoes Pakistan’s narrative on subjects like the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya also took a dig at the Congress, saying that “enemies of India are cheering for Rahul Gandhi and Indians know exactly where his loyalties lie”.
He termed Shahid Afridi a “rabid Hindu-hater”.
He interpreted Afridi’s words to mean “Rahul wants dialogue with Pakistan”,and said the former cricketer had attacked PM Modi “by comparing India’s policy on Pakistan to Israel’s actions in Gaza”.
India-Pak clash
In the match, after which Afridi’s comments came as part of a discusion, India secured a thumping seven-wicket victory over Pakistan. It was group-stage clash of Asia Cup on Sunday. This extended India’s dominance in T20Is against the arch-rivals to 11-3.
The Indian team departed from the tradition of shaking hands with the opposition. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha at the toss, and the India squad members did not have the customary handshake with the Pakistan team after their win too.
Pakistan also did not send Agha for the post-match presentation interview with the broadcaster.
The game was the first between the India and Pakistan cricket teams since the attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April where 26 civilians were killed. In May, India’s armed forces launched Operation Sindoor that targeted Pakistani terror infrastructure and led to a tense military standoff between the neighbours.
