Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Tuesday targeted Rahul Gandhi after former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi lauded the Congress leader and described him as a “positive mindset” during a live show in Pakistan.
Afridi’s praise drew sharp criticism from BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, who slammed Rahul Gandhi, claiming that “Cong Pak Yaarana is very old.”
Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju also added to the criticism, stating that “Rahul Gandhi has been the darling of Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, Congress’s social media chairperson Supriya Shrinate hit back at Rijiju while posting a photo of BJP leader Anurag Thakur with Shahid Afridi.
What did Shahid Afridi say
While praising Rahul Gandhi, Shahid Afridi also drew a comparison between India’s policies towards Pakistan and Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“This government (in India) always plays the religion and Muslim-Hindu card to stay in power. This is a very bad mindset. Rahul Gandhi has a very positive mindset. He believes in dialogue. Is one Israel not enough that you are trying to become another?” Shahid Afridi said.
Asia Cup 2025: India-Pakistan match row
Shahid Afridi’s comments come after Pakistan cricket team captain Salman Ali Agha and India’s Suryakumar Yadav did not exchange the customary handshake during the toss of the Asia Cup match between the two nations.
India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup group stage match in Dubai on Sunday.
The match came months after the lethal terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam which killed 26 people — prompting criticism of the government by the Opposition for allowing the fixture to go ahead.
How other BJP leaders reacted
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya also added to the criticism of Rahul Gandhi.
Calling Shahid Afridi a long-time critic of India, as he posted on social media, “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.”