BJP Official Denounces Shah Rukh Khan for Acquiring Bangladeshi Cricketer

Post by : Mina Rahman

A prominent BJP figure from Uttar Pradesh has vehemently criticized Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan following his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders' acquisition of Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman for ₹9.2 crore.

Sangeet Som, a former member of the state assembly, labeled Shah Rukh Khan a "traitor" for onboarding the Bangladeshi player given the alarming reports of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

During a public gathering in Meerut, Som stated, "While Hindus face persecution in Bangladesh, cricketers are being traded for the IPL. The traitorous actor Shah Rukh Khan has signed Mustafizur Rahman. Such traitors should not remain in this country."

He continued, "The Indian populace has contributed to your success. The funds you possess originate from this nation, yet you have turned your back on it."

Som also cautioned that players like Rahman could encounter hostility in India, asserting they "will not be safe even at the airport" when they arrive to participate in the IPL starting in March.

Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur echoed this sentiment, criticizing Shah Rukh Khan’s choice and urging the KKR management to forego including the Bangladeshi player in their squad.

"The devotees of Sanatan and Hindus who aided in making Shah Rukh Khan a household name are disheartened by his dismissal of the violence against them in Bangladesh, allowing Bangladeshi players in his ranks," Thakur expressed.

The controversial remarks prompted responses from the opposition in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition leader, Mata Prasad Pandey, condemned Som’s statements and criticized the BJP, while Congress leader Surender Rajput accused the BJP of targeting Shah Rukh Khan due to his Muslim identity.

BJP ally and UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar rebuked Som for his inflammatory comments, suggesting they were merely an attempt to attract attention.

This verbal exchange emerges at a time of heightened tensions between India and Bangladesh, exacerbated by the recent lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu, in Mymensingh district over alleged blasphemy.