In an apparent criticism of rising Hindutva in India under Narendra Modi rule, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti has said cricket should be played in a sporting spirit and not treated as if it were a war.
According to Kashmir Media Service, when asked about her views on the defeat of India in Cricket World Cup at Ahmedabad on Sunday, she said, the then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf attended India-Pakistan cricket matches in each other’s countries.
“When an Indian player played well, the Pakistani crowd appreciated it and the same was done by the Indian crowd for Pakistani players. That is how the game should be seen,” she added.
“Cricket is a sport and it should be played like one. It is not a war,” she added.
Mufti also hit out at the occupation regime of Jammu and Kashmir for the power crisis in the territory. She accused the administration of spending huge amounts on official functions and publicity, while the people are allegedly being made to suffer.
“The electricity fee is being hiked with each passing day. Every year, new electricity meters are being installed, which is the biggest scam, and someday we will talk about it. The situation of electricity is so bad that power comes on for minutes and remains shut for hours. This is the situation in our city, Srinagar. The situation is worse in villages and towns where there are no traces of electricity,” she added.
The PDP president said that despite the Modi government holding celebrations and functions every day and boasting about different things, there is a decrease in electricity.—KMS
