New Delhi: The visualization of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to include Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in their squad has drawn widespread criticism of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Kan, one of the co-owners of the IPL franchise. On Friday, the issue snowballed into a political controversy the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress sparring over the issue.
The row started without the IPL 2026 auction, when KKR secured the services of Rahman for a staggering 9.20 crore. The move triggered a wave of nationalistic saltate versus KKR and Shah Rukh Khan tween attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh pursuit the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina regime.
Hindu spiritual icon Devkinandan Thakur had slammed Shah Rukh Khan over selecting Rahman for KKR, with BJP leader Sangeet Som valuables his stand on Thursday. Calling Shah Rukh Khan a traitor, Som accused the Bollywood star of investing in players "from a country working versus India".
"Despite all this, traitors like Shah Rukh Khan, I'm calling him a traitor considering everything he has is given by India, given by the people of India, but where do they invest this money? They invest it in players from a country that is working versus India. I want to tell people like Shah Rukh Khan that they will not succeed,” Som told the media.
What is the BJP's stand?
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has moreover spoken out versus Khan over the issue.
“When the unshortened country is enraged and wrestling at Bangladesh, anyone in India who has plane the slightest connection to Bangladeshis could wilt a target of that anger. If there is a Bangladeshi in Shah Rukh Khan's team, surpassing he becomes a major target, we request that Shah Rukh Khan remove the Bangladeshi from his team,” he told news organ ANI.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader moreover echoed similar sentiments.
"Bangladeshi players shouldn't be unliable to play on Indian soil in the IPL. Pakistani and Bangladeshi players should be prohibited. They harbour hatred towards us for the murder of our Hindu brothers and sisters.. Shah Rukh Khan should immediately remove that Bangladeshi cricketer from his team. If he doesn't do this plane without all this uproar, it will prove that, while he lives in this country and earns money here, he doesn't understand this nation's sentiments," Dubey was quoted as saying by ANI.
What has the Congress said?
However, Congress MP Manickam Tagore has backed Khan on the issue.
“Hate cannot pinpoint nationalism. RSS must stop poisoning society," the Congress leader said.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate moreover supported Khan on the issue and hit out at the BJP and the BCCI.
“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 wordplay who put the Bangladeshi players in the pool where IPL players are bought and sold, the pool where the players' vendition takes place. He is the ICC's senior and the main decision-maker in cricket all virtually the world,” she said.
