All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi launched an attack on the government during a Lok Sabha session on Monday, raising objections to India’s scheduled cricket match against Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The match, set for 14 September, comes just months after the deadly terrorist assault in Pahalgam that claimed 26 Indian lives.
Speaking during the discussion on Operation Sindoor in Parliament, Owaisi said, “…You’ve stopped trade, Pakistan’s aircraft can’t enter our airspace, their boats can’t enter our waters, trade has completely ended—direct or indirect. Then why isn’t your conscience awake? You play a cricket match with Pakistan? We’re not even giving them water—we’ve stopped 80% of Pakistan’s water… Mera zameer to gawara nahi karta ki main us match ko dekhuga (My conscience does not allow me to watch that match).”
Watch: Speaking in the Lok Sabha, AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi says, “…You’ve stopped trade, Pakistan’s aircraft can’t enter our airspace, their boats can’t enter our waters, trade has completely ended—direct or indirect. Then why isn’t your conscience awake? You play a… pic.twitter.com/NVccQDTo1h
— IANS (@ians_india) July 28, 2025
Owaisi questioned whether the government had the moral standing to have India play a cricket match with Pakistan after the brutal attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. “Does your conscience allow you to ask the family members of the people who were killed in Baisaran to watch India’s cricket match with Pakistan?… We are stopping 80% of Pakistan’s water, saying that water and blood will not flow together. Will you play a cricket match? My conscience does not allow me to watch that match. Does this government have the courage to call the 25 dead people and say we have taken revenge in Operation Sindoor, now you watch the match with Pakistan. It is a matter of great regret…”
VIDEO | Speaking on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) said, “You have stopped trade with Pakistan, closed your airspace, stopped their ships from entering our waters, then how will you play cricket match with Pakistan?”#OperationSindoor… pic.twitter.com/il2mBjJR2S
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 28, 2025
He further demanded accountability for the Pahalgam attack: “Who did Pahalgam? We have 7.5 lakh army and central paramilitary force. From where did these four rats enter and kill our Indian citizens? On whom will accountability be fixed?”
Taking a jibe at US President Donald Trump, Owaisi raised the matter of soverenity, “Pakistan and Israel are failed states. The President of the country with which we have strategic relations invited the Pakistani Army Chief for lunch… ‘Ek gora White House me baithkar Bharat ke ceasefire ka elaan karega?’ (Will someone sitting in White House declare India’s ceasefire). Is this your nationalism?”
VIDEO | Speaking on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) said, “Pakistan and Israel are failed states. The President of the country with which we have strategic relations invited the Pakistani Army Chief for lunch… ‘ek gora White House me… pic.twitter.com/ZHfTtYV4JW
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 28, 2025
He contended that the declaration by Trump has a demoralising impact on the tri-services.
Political Backlash Intensifies Against BCCI Over India-Pak Asia Cup Clash
The Asia Cup schedule was announced on Kargil Vijay Diwas — the day commemorating India’s 1999 victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War — intensifying the public and political uproar. Many opposition leaders and former cricketers have called for a complete boycott of sporting ties with Pakistan in protest against the April 22 attack.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi took aim at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on social media, saying, “Stop your profit over the blood of Indians and Armed Forces… India’s CDS has said Operation Sindoor is ongoing, yet there’s a rush to earn blood money.”
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat also echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Patriotism and national sentiment are hurt by Pakistan’s actions. We must act strongly before considering sporting ties.”
The criticism mirrors a similar boycott earlier this month when an India-Pakistan match in the World Championship of Legends was called off in England. Retired cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan had opted out of the game in protest over the Pahalgam killings.
Former Indian captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin also weighed in on the debate, stating, “If we’re not playing bilateral series, we shouldn’t face them in international tournaments either.”
Meanwhile, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly weighed in on the much-debated matter as he said, “I am okay. The sport must go on. At the same time, Pahalgam should not happen, but the sport must go on. Terrorism must not happen; it needs to be stopped.”
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