BJP targets Rahul Gandhi after Shahid Afridi praises his 'positive mindset', Congress shares picture with Anurag Thakur

BJP targets Rahul Gandhi after Shahid Afridi praises his 'positive mindset', Congress shares picture with Anurag Thakur

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday attacked Rahul Gandhi after former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi praised him for having a "positive mindset."

Afridi made the remarks while criticizing India's perceived cold behavior during the recent Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan.

“This is a despicable mindset, which will continue as long as PM Modi is in power. There are good people too, like Rahul Gandhi, who has a positive mindset and supports dialogue with the world. Isn’t Israel enough that you're trying to become like it here?," Afridi said referring to the Indian team's decision to skip the customary handshake with their Pakistani counterparts.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said that why every India-hater like Rahul Gandhi. “Why is it that every India-hater finds a friend in Rahul Gandhi? When enemies of Bharat start cheering for you, the people of India know exactly where your loyalties lie," he posted on X.

Rabid Hindu-hater Shahid Afridi, who never misses a chance to spew venom against India and dream of Kashmir joining Pakistan, is suddenly all praise for Rahul Gandhi.

Afridi says Rahul wants “dialogue” with Pakistan, while attacking PM Modi by comparing India’s policy on… pic.twitter.com/glxcMJrTtK

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 16, 2025

However, responding to the BJP’s attack, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared a picture of Union Minister Anurag Thakur with Shahid Afridi from an earlier India-Pakistan match in February, calling out the apparent double standards.

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शर्म करो घटिया भाजपाईयों pic.twitter.com/gXVGIyf4MP

— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 16, 2025

Meanwhile, the Asia Cup controversy deepened after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed a complaint with the ICC over India skipper Suryakumar Yadav allegedly refusing to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha. The PCB also demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, a request that was denied by the ICC.