- BJP leader Sangeet Som calls Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor”
- Controversy over KKR buying Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman
- Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur also criticises the move
- Congress counters, accuses BJP of targeting Khan for his religion
GG News Bureau
Meerut, 1st Jan: A political row has erupted after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Uttar Pradesh criticised actor Shah Rukh Khan over his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) buying Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman.
Former UP MLA Sangeet Som, speaking at a public event in Meerut, accused Khan of being a “traitor” and questioned the decision to buy a Bangladeshi player at a time when reports of atrocities against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh have drawn concern in India.
“On one hand, Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, and on the other hand, cricketers are being bought in the IPL. Shah Rukh Khan has bought Bangladeshi cricketer Rahman for Rs 9 crore. Such traitors have no right to live in this country,” Som said.
He also warned that Rahman, who was reportedly bought for Rs 9.2 crore during the IPL auction on December 16, would “not be able to step out of the airport” if he comes to India.
Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur also criticised the move, urging KKR management not to field the Bangladeshi pacer. He alleged that the decision ignored the situation faced by Hindus in Bangladesh.
Congress leader Surender Rajput hit back at the BJP, accusing it of targeting Shah Rukh Khan because of his religion and calling the party “traitorous.”
The exchange of sharp remarks comes amid strained ties between India and Bangladesh, particularly following the lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh last month over alleged blasphemy.
