Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sangeet Som on Wednesday took a sharp jibe at Shah Rukh Khan for purchasing Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League auction, held in December last year. Calling Khan a traitor, Som said that he has no right to live in this country.

“On one hand, Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, and on the other hand, cricketers are being bought in the IPL auction. Shah Rukh Khan bought Rahman by spending Rs nine crores. Today, anti-India slogans are raised in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister is abused, but traitors like Shah Rukh Khan are helping them by spending nine crores. They have no right to live in this country,” Som said, while addressing a public gathering and voter revision workshop in Meerut.

He further warned that if Mustafizur lands in India for the upcoming IPL session, the consequences will not be good for him. “He (Mustafizur Rahman) won’t be able to step out of the airport,” he added.

In light of the ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh, the inclusion of Mustafizur Rahman in KKR has drawn sharp reactions from multiple corners. Apart from Sanjeev Som, spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur also criticised KKR and Shah Rukh Khan for purchasing Mustafizur for the upcoming IPL session. Echoing Thakur’s sentiment, Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya also called Khan a “traitor” and someone who lacks a strong character.

The move has also triggered controversy in political circles. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey, speaking to ANI, said, “If Shah Rukh Khan removes him from his team, we will all respect him, honour him, and give him due recognition. But if Shah Rukh Khan plays him and earns money, that money will be used to nurture terrorists there and conspire against our country. We will not allow this to happen at any cost.”

Amid criticisms, Congress MP Manickam Tagore came out in support of Shah Rukh Khan. Firing his shots at the RSS, the veteran Congress leader wrote on X, “Calling superstar Shah Rukh Khan a ‘traitor’ is an attack on India’s pluralism. Hate cannot define nationalism. RSS must stop poisoning society. #StopHatePolitics.”

Congress leader Tariq Anwar came in support too of Shah Rukh Khan, saying it is appropriate to talk about the actor in such a way. ” If the cricket board has given permission, only then can Shah Rukh Khan bring in players from Bangladesh or any other country. Permission from the local cricket board is necessary; without it, it won’t happen. So, first, we should decide whether we will allow such players into our country or not. Since this is an international event, international law applies there.

Several Muslim religious and political leaders also reacted to the controversy. On KKR selecting a Bangladeshi player in the IPL auction, Imam Association President Maulana Sajid Rashidi said, “In this country, blindly opposing anything without thinking or understanding the Constitution has become a habit. Whenever a Muslim name comes up, protesting becomes very easy. Shah Rukh Khan is Muslim, and the Bangladeshi cricketer he bought is also Muslim, so the protest is inevitable because the hatred against Muslims here immediately comes to the surface”

National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, said that targeting Shah Rukh Khan was unjustified, “Devkinandan Thakur and Sangeet Som should understand that Indian Muslims are also concerned about the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and stand in solidarity with them, raising their voices in support of their protection and safety. In such a situation, if Shah Rukh Khan makes any agreement with a cricketer there, it is not an act of betrayal”

AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan condemned violence against minorities but questioned selective outrage linked to cricket, “I condemn the atrocities being committed against the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh… Violence should not be done… Even in India, atrocities are committed against Muslim minorities… When it comes to cricket, how does it matter who supports what? Some time ago, the Indian government allowed the India vs Pakistan match. I reject the money which brings my country’s pride and dignity into question.”

Meanwhile, Pyre Khan, the Chairman of the Maharashtra State Minority Commission, urged Shah Rukh to remove Mustafizur from the squad.

– Ends

Published By:

Akash Chatterjee

Published On:

Jan 2, 2026