Owaisi: When water, blood can't flow together, why play cricket against Pakistan?

Indian Express

16 hours ago

AIMIM LEADER Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday asked in the Lok Sabha how the Centre can allow the national cricket team to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup tournament on September 14 when the government had asserted after the Pahalgam attack that 'water and blood cannot flow together' and had imposed various restrictions.
Owaisi said his own conscience will not allow him to watch that cricket match between India and Pakistan.
Participating in the special discussion on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha, Owaisi said when Indian airspace is closed for Pakistan's aircraft, their boats cannot enter India, trade is stopped, 'with what face India will play a cricket match with Pakistan'?
'Does this government have so much courage to make a phone call to (families of) those killed (in Pahalgam attack) and say that we have taken revenge in Operation Sindoor and you now watch Pakistan's cricket match? This is regrettable,' he said.
Owaisi also asked the government to point out who was accountable for the terror attack. 'If the accountability is fixed on L-G ( Lieutenant-Governor), then dismiss L-G. If accountability is on IB or the police, then take action… accountability will have to be fixed,' he said.
The Hyderabad MP urged the government to not make national security and foreign policy issues of politics and not make unity of the country a medium of getting votes.
Owaisi said unity and amity will have to be maintained in the country to defeat forces like Pakistan Army, ISI and others whose aim of life is to weaken India.
Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandrashekhar asked the government to clarify who helped the terrorists in crossing the border and entering Pahalgam. 'Had the security agencies received any input about this attack? If yes, then what action was taken on that input? Is the government implementing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for ensuring the safety of tourists? When the security review of sensitive places like Pahalgam was done last time, what shortcomings were found, and why did the Prime Minister not visit Pahalgam after the terror attack?'
Chandrashekhar demanded the government should reinstate Chamar regiment and also form Gujar, Mahto and Yadav regiments in view of rise in terror activities.
Revolutionary Socialist Party's N K Premachandran said when the success stories of Operation Sindoor are being discussed, a critical analysis should also be done of the failures faced during Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam terror attack. He said there were three major failures on part of the government — 'intelligence failures, tactical failure and failure of Indian foreign policy'.
Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More