New Delhi: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s remark on Hafiz Saed has sparked criticism in India, with opposition on Monday demanding to call off the upcoming cricket series between the two arch rivals.
The Pakistani cricket team’s tour is scheduled to commence with the opening Twenty20 game at Bangalore on Dec 25. This will be the first bilateral series between the two neighbors since Pakistan’s tour of India in November 2007.
According to BBC Urdu service, leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have said that India should refrain itself from having dialogues with Pakistan. Former chief of the party Venkaiah Naidu said terrorism and cricket can not go along. “On one hand they (Pakistan) support terrorism and on the other a cricket series is being host for them…this can’t go side by side,” he said.
Ravi Shankar Prasad of the BJP also assailed Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for remaining “conspicuously silent” when Rehman Malik “interfered in the internal affairs of India” by raising the Babri Masjid issue during his visit.
Prasad said that action is not likely to be taken against Saeed as the LeT founder enjoys “protection of the Pakistan government.”
The interior minister had returned to Pakistan after concluding a three-day visit to formalise a new visa accord last week.
The Indian Home Minister also criticised his Pakistani counterpart’s claim that Islamabad had thrice arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Shinde said that through the documents, provided by Islamabad regarding detentions of Saeed on three instances, it is clear that he was arrested for other reasons and not for his role as a conspirator in 2008 attacks.
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