The move by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to instruct IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to drop Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman has come under criticism by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor who described the action as an extremely unfortunate and unwise one in a sensitive diplomatic time. His observations are made during increased tensions between India and Bangladesh after reports of violence against the members of Hindu community in the neighbouring state.
Rahman joining KKR team had previously elicited mixed feelings amongst some quarters leading to his departure out of the franchise. This development has been seen in the context of poor relations between New Delhi and Dhaka that has been tensed on the issue of politics and security. Shortly following the scandal, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) declared that it would not take the national team to India to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup citing the issue of security and governmental guidance.
In response to the occurrence, Tharoor restated that sports must be kept out of the political fray and must not be subjected to the blow just because of differences in diplomacy and policy. He stressed that cricket, particularly when it comes to a private league such as IPL must not be politicised as it would lead to weakening of the game and people-people relationships.
According to Tharoor, India has remained active in dealing with Bangladesh on various diplomatic platforms. He indicated that the External Affairs Minister of India had just paid a visit to Bangladesh and had talks with the most important political leaders, including those who were likely to secure leading positions in the following government of the country. To him, there is bilateral interaction between the two countries in different sectors.
With the minority worries about attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, the senior deputy congress leader stated that India was already asking the interim government in Bangladesh to ensure law and order in the country and handle with decisive action against the illegal components in the country that were causing the attacks on the minorities.
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