The Congress did not issue any formal congratulatory message after India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final that took place at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Operation Sindoor' post over India's Asia Cup win also evoked mixed reactions from Congress leaders.
India's cricket team clinched their ninth Asia Cup title after defeating Pakistan by five wickets in a closely contested T20 final in Dubai. This drew massive cheers from the Prime Minister with reference to Operation Sindoor.
"Operation Sindoor on the games field. The outcome is the same - India wins! Congrats to our cricketers," PM Modi said in a post on X.
However, some Congress leaders said that it is not right to "compare a cricket match to a battlefield".
Congress leader Pawan Khera shared the Prime Minister's post on X and said, "Prime Minister ji, first of all, it is not right to compare a cricket match to a battlefield. Second, if you have made the comparison anyway, then you need to learn from the Indian team that when you are close to victory, good captains do not ceasefire on the orders of any third umpire," he added.
In a post on X, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said the PM crossed “the limits of shamelessness by comparing soldiers who sacrificed their lives at the border with money-grabbing cricketers”.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders such as Abhishek Singhvi and Siddaramaiah hailed Team India’s performance.
“When sports meet symbolism! Our champions didn’t just lift the Asia Cup, they lifted the nation’s pride. And when the ACC chief tried running away with the trophy, Indian players responded with emojis, not egos. Grace wins matches, class wins hearts,” Singhvi posted on X.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hailed the “young team" that “created history," pointing to Tilak Varma’s composed 69 not out and Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket haul.
Meanwhile, the BJP lashed out at Congress for not congratulating Team India after its Asia Cup win, with party national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari calling Congress leader Rahul Gandhi the "best friend" of Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir.
"On one hand: Rahul Gandhi has not yet congratulated the Indian cricket team on thrashing Pakistan on sports battlefield! On the other hand: When Pakistan is completely cornered, you have Congress leaders asking for sportsman spirit against Pakistan! Why does Congress always support Pakistan over India!" the BJP leader said in a post on X.
“It seems India’s stunning win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final has left Rahul Gandhi and the entire Congress in a comatose state. Just like after #OperationSindoor, when they couldn’t bring themselves to congratulate the Indian Army for its stupendous strikes, they now appear to be waiting for permission from Mohsin Naqvi and their other handlers in Pakistan before joining the nation in celebrating the Indian cricket team’s success," BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote on X.
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