Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday said that a hotel owner in the national capital complied with the party’s call to boycott the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match and stopped the screening midway.
Sharing a video of AAP MLA from Kondli, Kuldeep Kumar, walking out of the hotel with other AAP supporters carrying Indian flags and chanting “Pakistan murdabad,” Bharadwaj tweeted: “Brave MLA @KuldeepKumarAAP and patriotic colleagues boycotted the India-Pakistan match, and the hotel owner agreed. The screening was stopped. Thanks to the hotel owner — who turned out to be more sensible than the BJP government.”
In another post, Bharadwaj also shared pictures of AAP members protesting at Connaught Place, saying that the match was being played “against India’s honour and the sentiments of its people.”
The party linked the match with a lack of sensitivity towards the families affected by the Pahalgam attack. The party’s official line was that playing cricket with Pakistan undermines India’s honour and public mood.
Ahead of the match, former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Playing a match with Pakistan is a betrayal of the nation. Every Indian is extremely angry about this.”
On the eve of the match, AAP leaders and workers burnt effigies symbolising Pakistani cricketers and called for a boycott of the match. Demonstrators argued that sport should not take precedence over national mourning and called on citizens to join their boycott.
Addressing the media, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “This is a gross humiliation of our women who lost their husbands in the Pahalgam attack, but still our central leadership is going ahead with the India-Pakistan cricket match.” He reiterated the party’s opposition to the match on moral and emotional grounds.
Earlier, Bharadwaj had warned that AAP activists would “expose” outlets screening the match.
A day before the match, Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the government, saying, “Pakistan’s cricket players mock our widows in such a dirty, disgusting way, and we will play cricket with them. Shame on the BJP government.” The party accused the Centre of ignoring the sentiments of those affected by the Pahalgam attack.
Kejriwal also questioned the government’s stance, posting, “What is the need for the Prime Minister to organise a match with Pakistan? The whole country is saying that this match should not happen. Then why is this match being organised?” Kejriwal raised concerns regarding external influence, adding, “Is this also being done under Trump’s pressure? How much will you bow down to Trump?”
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