Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan was met with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ from the crowd while he was returning to dressing room. Udhayanidhi Stalin termed the fans’ behavior as “unacceptable”.
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday expressed outrage over the crowd chanting “Jai Shri Ram” at Pakistani wicket keeper-batter Muhammad Rizwan as he was walking back to the dressing room after being dismissed in the India-Pakistan World Cup match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad yesterday.
Terming the behavior of the Indian fans as “unacceptable”, the DMK leader said while India is globally renowned for its sportsmanship and hospitality, the treatment meted out to Pakistani players during the high-octane clash was a “new low”.
“India is renowned for its sportsmanship and hospitality. However, the treatment meted out to Pakistan players at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is unacceptable and a new low. Sports should be a unifying force between countries, fostering true brotherhood. Using it as a tool to spread hatred is condemnable,” Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote on X.
A massive crowd which had arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium to witness the highly-anticipated cricket match between arch rivals India and Pakistan, can be raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans when Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan was heading back to the dressing room after being bowled by India’s Jasprit Bumrah. Rizwan scored 49 runs of 69 balls and his dismissal triggered a collapse of Pakistan’s batting line-up which eventually folded for a paltry 191.
A video of the incident went viral on social media on Saturday and sparked a debate among users. While some termed it as a “nonsensical tactic”, others called it an “expression of joy” to celebrate the Indian team’s success in the match.
Pàkistan batsman Muhammad Rizwan was returning to the pavilion after getting out.
He had to face ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants from the crowd of Narendra Módi stadium during #IndiaVsPakistan WC today.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/IvbpFnE8fh
— Amock (@Politics_2022_) October 14, 2023
“Pakistan is playing 2 matches in Chennai in the next 10 days. Whoever is going to Chepauk, make sure to welcome them with abundant love and respect everyone for who they are and what they are up for! I trust my city to compensate for the madness Babar Azam had to endure today,” said a user.
Earlier, the fans also booed Pakistan skipper Babar Azam while he was speaking at the toss, even as Team India captain Virat Kohli, in a show of sportsmanship, presented the Pakistan batter with a signed jersey after Pakistan lost the match by seven wickets.
Star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami had faced a similar situation earlier this year when fans heckled him with “Jai Shri Ram” chants during an India-Australia Test match.
Meanwhile, responding to Stalin Jr’s comments, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said that the DMK Minister has no grounds to say sports should only be treated as such and only criticizes Sanatana Dharma at every opportunity he can find.
“Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has nothing to do with saying that sports should be looked at as a game and why is Udhayanidhi Stalin criticizing only Sanatana,” Annamalai said.
