The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today held a strong protest at its headquarters against the cricket match scheduled to be played tomorrow between India and Pakistan. As part of the protest, AAP karyakartas burnt an effigy of a Pakistani cricketer. The protest was led by AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj. Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha, Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar, former Kirari MLA Rituraj Jha, former Jangpura MLA Praveen Deshmukh, AAP Youth Wing State President Pankaj Gupta, along with several other party workers, also participated. Throughout the demonstration, slogans of “Pakistan Murdabad” were raised.
Addressing the media during the protest, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “The Aam Aadmi Party completely opposes the cricket match that is to be played tomorrow between India and Pakistan. This is the same Pakistan that only a few days ago entered Kashmir, spilled the blood of dozens of our Indians, murdered them, and widowed our mothers and sisters. Yet today, the BJP government sitting at the Centre is preparing to play cricket with these very Pakistanis. This is an act of utter shame.”
The AAP Delhi unit chief presented a poster that showed the Pakistan Army Chief filling the hairline of a woman wearing a sari with the Indian tricolour, with sindoor. Explaining the image, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “This poster was uploaded on Instagram by a Pakistani cricketer himself. It reflects Pakistan’s filthy mentality. What Pakistan wants to convey is that the very mothers and sisters whose sindoor was wiped out by Pakistani terrorists in Kashmir are now being re-married by the Pakistan Army Chief by filling their hairline with sindoor. This is an utterly disgusting and shameful act. And yet, the BJP government sitting at the Centre is organising a cricket match with such a shameful country.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj further said, “Pakistani terrorists have shed the blood of our Indian citizens, and yet the BJP government at the Centre is going to play cricket with those very Pakistanis. This cannot be allowed. Blood and cricket cannot go hand in hand.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj appealed to all cricket lovers of the country as well as the Indian cricket team itself, saying, “Do not play cricket with the very Pakistanis who only a few days ago entered Kashmir, murdered our brothers and sisters, and shed their blood. I appeal to everyone to oppose this cricket match.”
He also declared, “Any bar or club that broadcasts tomorrow’s India–Pakistan cricket match will also face a boycott by the Aam Aadmi Party.”
