How politicians reacted as fans taunt Pakistan's Muhammad Rizwan with 'Jai Shri Ram' chants in Ahmedabad
A video shows the crowd purportedly taunting Muhammad Rizwan as he was returning to the pavilion at Narendra Modi Stadium.
Several politicians have reacted after a video surfaced on social media of spectators chanting “Jai Shri Ram” when Pakistan wicket-keeper-batsman Muhammad Rizwan was returning to the pavilion after getting out at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the India versus Pakistan World Cup match on Saturday.
The video shows the crowd purportedly taunting Rizwan with chants of "Jai Shri Ram" after he was dismissed for 49 runs in the match.
Reacting to the video, DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin described the behaviour as "unacceptable".
"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 said on social media platform X.
Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale also reacted to the incident and questioned whether “we’re qualified & sporting enough to host ANY international sporting event”.
“PM Modi desperately wants India to host the 2036 Olympics. But if this is what BJP has reduced our audiences to - where they heckle a Pakistani player with chants of Jai Shri Ram - massive doubts remain over whether we’re qualified & sporting enough to host ANY international sporting event. Not surprisingly - the stadium where this happened is called Narendra Modi stadium,” Gokhale posted on X.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia posted another video in which the massive crowd at the stadium can be purportedly seen singing “Jai Shri Ram”.
“The entire stadium was mesmerized with the chanting of Jai Shri Ram. Then we all saw what happened next,” Bhatia wrote.
Another BJP leader Kapil Mishra lauded the crowd and wrote “well done Ahmedabad” on his X account.
“Proud of all of you. Jai Shri Ram,” he said.
Mixed reactions on social media
The Rizwan incident drew mixed reactions on social media with a section of users sharing a clip of Indian players being trolled by Pakistani fans in 2017 to justify the actions of the Ahmedabad crowd.
Several other users have also criticised the Ahmedabad fans' behaviour, citing precedents of Indian fans behaving well towards their arch-rivals.
Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav triggered a stunning Pakistan collapse and shared four wickets in India's dominant victory over its archrival.
The seven-wicket win in front of a crowd of more than 100,000 fans at Narendra Modi Stadium was India’s eighth consecutive victory over Pakistan in World Cups in a streak that began in 1992.
Bumrah took 2-19 in seven overs and Yadav picked up 2-35 in 10 overs as Pakistan crashed from 155-2 (29.3 overs) to 191 all out in 42.5 overs with five of India's six bowlers taking two wickets each.
