Congress leaders condemn criticism of Mustafizur Rahman's selection by KKR

Two senior leaders of India's main opposition Congress party have criticised attacks on IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) over its selection of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman, saying cricket should not be dragged into political debates or made responsible for incidents involving minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Reacting to the criticism, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told reporters that sport should be kept separate from political and social issues. "Cricket should not be made to bear the burden for attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. We should try to insulate some areas from others. We are reaching out to Bangladesh and urging them to do the right thing to protect and look after their minorities, and this messaging must continue," he said.

"Mustafizur Rahman is a cricketer and has nothing to do with any of these things. He has not been personally accused of any hate speech or condoning or defending any attacks. Mixing these two things is simply not fair," Tharoor added.

He also cautioned against isolating South Asian neighbours through such controversies. "If we become a country that isolates all of our neighbours and say nobody is playing with any of them, how does it do any good? It is purely a sporting decision and we should not let politics come into this. We surround Bangladesh on three sides. We cannot isolate them. We have to play with them," he said.

Congress leader and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for targeting KKR, noting that overseas players participate in the IPL in line with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL regulations.

In a post on X, Kharge said, "BJP and their 'Vichar Parivaar' are outraged over the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player in the IPL. If an overseas player is in the IPL, it is because BCCI or IPL rules allow him. Instead of blaming the franchise, shouldn't BJP leaders ask why BCCI is allowing Bangladesh players to participate in the IPL, when they should be banning it."

He further said, "The same BJP leaders have no problem when India played with Pakistan soon after the Pahalgam attack. IPL shifted matches to Islamic countries during Covid. IPL auctions are held in Islamic countries."

"Instead of questioning franchisees, BJP stooges should be asking tough questions to the Home Minister as to why he is allowing the ICC and BCCI to function like this. For the BJP, 'nationalism' appears only when it suits their politics," he added.