Ind Vs Pak Asia Cup Controversy: KTR Calls Out BJP’s “Shameless Hypocrisy”

Amid mounting criticism over the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025, held just months after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao launched a sharp critique of the government for allowing the matches to proceed.

In a strongly-worded post on X (formerly Twitter), KTR accused the BJP of “shameless hypocrisy.” He stated, “Barely five months ago, 26 innocent civilians were massacred in a Pak-sponsored terror attack. Yet, the ruling BJP has no qualms about our national team playing cricket against the very country sponsoring terrorism on our soil.”

He further commented, “As expected, some BJP supporters are rattled by the BRS Party welcoming the Supreme Court’s interim order on the Waqf Amendment Act 2025. They respect neither the Indian Constitution nor the orders of the apex court.”

Slamming the BJP for permitting the cricket matches, KTR added, “This comes even as the victims’ families have registered strong protests against what they see as an inhuman betrayal.” He asserted that the BRS embodies true nationalism, “unlike your chest-thumping brand of pseudo-nationalism.”

“For us, nationalism means treating every Indian equally, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. It means recognizing the fine line between nationalism and jingoism,” he emphasized.

Several political parties have voiced disappointment over the Indian cricket team facing Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025. Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday criticized the BJP-led Union government, claiming the India-Pakistan match in Dubai “exposed” its patriotism, Hindutva, and hypocrisy.

In its party mouthpiece Saamana, the Thackeray camp accused the government of indirectly supporting terrorism through the cricket match. It urged every Indian citizen to condemn the event, alleging that the Pakistan Cricket Board received at least ₹1,000 crore from the Dubai match and that around ₹50,000 crore in betting earnings flowed to gambling operators in Pakistan. Shiv Sena (UBT) argued that the Union government, by facilitating the match, had “strengthened the hands of those who create terrorism in India.”