Introduction of Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which is an IPL franchise owned by a co-owner in the team of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, has sparked a political uproar, with politicians of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress taking swipes at each other over the matter.
This row arose following the auction of IPL 2026, in which KKR bid for Rahman ₹9.20 crore. Although the experts in the field of cricket considered the deal a solid strategic move, considering the experience and prowess of the pacer in T20 cricket, the move became a political target, considering the sour relationship between India and Bangladesh. The killing of a Hindu man in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, has raised tensions after the news was reported, and this has angered some political organizations in India.
Thursday, BJP leader Sangeet Som supported the statements of a Hindu spiritual leader, Devkinandan Thakur, who criticised Shah Rukh Khan because he added a Bangladeshi player to his IPL team. Som took the matter a notch higher, throwing personal attacks against the actor, accusing him of investing in other players of a nation he said was an enemy to India. He also accused of massive persecution against Hindus in Bangladesh, citing violence, home attacks, and anti-India slogans.
The other parties leaders also entered into the debate, which further expanded the controversy. The leader of the Shiv Sena, Sanjay Nirupam, advised Shah Rukh Khan to remove Rahman from the KKR team because he claimed that it was in the best interest of the actor as well as the nation. Nirupam purported that hate against Bangladesh could be transferred to the populace and that any individual who seemed to have been closely affiliated with Bangladesh could be a victim of the hate.
Even the dumbest associations may have a reaction when the whole nation is enraged-and Nirupam addressed Khan to change his mind.
The Congress, on its part, has condemned the position of the BJP, claiming that it has politicised sports.
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