Chennai: Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s criticism of Pakistani players being taunted with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad during the Indo-Pak world cup cricket match has triggered a political controversy in Tamil Nadu.
Udhay, who was recently in the news for his controversial comments on Sanatana Dharma, on Sunday condemned the heckling of Pakistani players.
“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,” he said in a statement.
Udhay’s statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, went viral with many replying with videos of the Pakistani cricket team going on a victory lap at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai after defeating India in a one-day match in 1999, amid cheers by the audience and cricket fans.
However, many people questioned Udhay’s statement by seeking to know why he didn’t condemn when the Sri Lankan cricket team faced opposition to play in Chennai due to the ethnic Tamil issue.
Union Minister of State and BJP leader L Murugan said, “Jai Shri Ram ” thrice when he was asked to comment on Udhay’s statement. Several BJP leaders seemed to support Murugan’s statement on Monday as they took on Udhay for being “selective” in his outrage.
However, Udhay received support from Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram who said politics should be kept away from sports.
(Published 16 October 2023, 14:30 IST)