The recent killings in Jammu and Kashmir of civilians and security personnel have triggered calls for the match, scheduled for October 24, to be cancelled, or at least reconsidered.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will open their respective campaigns at the ICC World T20 2021 on October 24, against each other in Dubai. However, the build-up to the match has been dominated by politicians in India demanding that the contest be cancelled, or at least reconsidered, due to the recent killings of civilians and security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.
Here’s what politicians have said on the contest, either individually, or on behalf of their respective parties:
Union minister Giriraj Singh: “I think if the relations between India and Pakistan are not good, then the match should be reconsidered.”
However, neither Singh’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nor its government at the Centre has said anything on the issue.
Union minister and Republic Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale: “India should not play Pakistan. The neighbouring country has not learnt its lesson. So, there should be an ‘aar paar ki ladaai’ (all-out war). It is Pakistan’s ploy not to allow development in the Valley.”
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader did not directly call for the tie to be cancelled, though he did take a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “PM Modi never speaks on two things: rise in petrol and diesel prices and China sitting in our territory in Ladakh. He is afraid of speaking on China. Our nine soldiers died in J&K, and on October 24 India-Pakistan T20 match will happen,” Owaisi said.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi: “We see that people are being attacked in Kashmir. I’m sure that even the PM agrees with the stand of not conducting the match. When his BJP was in opposition, he used to question why, when state-sponsored terrorism is taking place in India, we should with Pakistan?”
Punjab minister and former Olympian Pargat Singh: “India vs Pakistan match shouldn’t be held because the situation at the border isn’t ideal, and both the countries are currently going through a stressful period,”
What is the BCCI’s stand?
However, Rajiv Shukla, Pargat Singh’s colleague in the Congress, and a senior official at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said that the clash cannot be cancelled. “We strongly condemns the killings. However, under the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) commitments, you can’t refuse to play any one,” the BCCI vice-president said.
This is not for the first time when such a demand has been raised. Most recently, in 2019, several people called for the BCCI to boycott the clash with Pakistan at the 50-over World Cup, due to the Pulwama suicide attack which took place earlier that year.