Explaining the government's decision to allow the Indian cricket team to play against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday that India is not playing a bilateral game with its arch-rival, and if it decides not to participate in a multilateral tournament, then it would get eliminated from such competitions.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, the 53-year-old said tournaments such as the Asia Cup and the Olympics are not for Pakistan, and the neighbouring country was not invited separately. By not participating in such a tournament, Rijiju said, it would harm the interests of India only.
"If India does not play in the Asia Cup, then India will be out," Rijiju was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "If we do not go to the Olympics because of our enmity with a country, who will suffer the loss? So, this has to be understood. The sentiment is right, but there should be rational thinking behind the sentiment."
"India is not playing a bilateral match with Pakistan separately, but tournaments like the Olympics, Asian Games, Asian Championship, World Cup, and Asia Cup are multi-national, multi-lateral, all nations play together, there is no separate game between Pakistan and India," he stressed.
Boycott calls and India vs Pakistan match
India on Sunday played Pakistan at an Asia Cup match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Ahead of the match, boycott calls were being, in view of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. However, the government had allowed the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to allow the Indian team to play against their arch-rival.
This decision caused an uproar across the nation, though, with opposition parties questioning the Modi government over its stance.
Indian players refuse to shake hands with Pakistan
Meanwhile, India on Sunday defeated Pakistan by seven wickets at Asia Cup. Following the match, the Indian players also didn't shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav dedicating the victory to Indian armed forces and paying tributes to the Pahalgam victims.
"We are aligned with BCCI and government. (A) few things are ahead of sportsman spirit. We stand with all victims of Pahalgam terror attack and dedicate it to armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor," Yadav said after the match.
