Chhatarpur, January 1: The controversy surrounding Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) over the inclusion of a Bangladeshi cricketer has continued to escalate, with religious and political leaders across the country weighing in. The issue, which began as a cricket-related decision, has now grown into a wider debate involving national sentiment and security concerns.
Reacting to earlier remarks made by spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur, Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Acharya Dhirendra Shastri told ANI that the final decision on such matters rests with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, he added that Bangladeshi cricketers also carry a moral responsibility toward society.
Speaking in Chhatarpur, Shastri said that Bangladeshi players should raise their voices for the protection and safety of Hindus living in Bangladesh. He stressed that Hindu communities there should not face harassment and should feel secure. "It is also their responsibility," he said, while adding that cricket as a sport should not be mixed with politics.
At the same time, Shastri made it clear that he does not believe a game should be judged beyond its rules. "A game is a game and it has its own rules. Nothing like this applies to the game," he said. However, he added that players should still speak up for the nation and society when it comes to important issues.
Violence against Hindus in Bangladesh is on the rise and in the latest incident, a Hindu businessman identified as Khokon Das narrowly escaped a brutal mob attack today. This is the fourth major case of violence against Hindus in the country. These incidents have caused anger and concern among Hindus in India and have also added to the tensions between India and Bangladesh.
Shastri's remarks come after KKR bought Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the upcoming IPL season. Earlier, BJP leader Sangeet Som and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey had made strong statements linking the issue to nationalism and security concerns. Dubey had even warned that IPL earnings could allegedly be used to fund terrorism by the Bangladeshi players.
