AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slams Modi govt for playing cricket with Pakistan despite frozen ties, says comparing Asia Cup win with military ops insults armed forces.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi launched a sharp critique of the Modi government on Monday, questioning the rationale behind allowing India to play cricket against Pakistan while bilateral relations remain frozen on multiple fronts. Speaking at a rally in Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Owaisi argued that sporting ties undermine the government’s own claim that “dialogue and terror cannot go hand in hand.”

Recalling India’s tough response after the Pahalgam massacre and subsequent Operation Sindoor, Owaisi pointed out that water treaties, air routes, trade, and maritime access for Pakistan had all been blocked. “If ties are suspended everywhere else, why continue cricket matches?” he asked, stressing that his objection was directed at policy decisions, not the Indian team, which he lauded for winning the Asia Cup.

The Hyderabad MP further accused Prime Minister Modi of trivialising the armed forces by likening the cricket victory to a military operation. “How can a sporting event be equated with the sacrifice of our soldiers?” he said. Owaisi argued that refusing to play Pakistan would have sent a stronger diplomatic message to the world than “posting hashtags on social media.”

Analysis: Owaisi’s criticism taps into a larger debate — should sports remain untouched by politics, or do matches with Pakistan inadvertently soften India’s stance on cross-border terror? For citizens, the mixed signals from New Delhi only deepen confusion about whether nationalism is being used as a serious policy framework or as mere political theatre.