Patna: Congress MP from Katihar, Tariq Anwar, on Tuesday criticised ICC chairman Jay Shah for taking Team India with the T20 World Cup to a temple in Ahmedabad after the victory in the final against New Zealand on Sunday night. Tariq said taking the trophy to a temple is not “our tradition”.BJP hit back. When asked about the controversy, sports minister Shreyasi Singh said, “Shame on him for making such a comment.”Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad on Tuesday also made a scathing attack on Jay Shah and CM Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar on X for “nepotism”.Earlier on Monday, Kirti also expressed displeasure over the trophy being taken to the temple and said the Indian team is “ashamed”.When asked about Kirti Azad’s comment, Tariq said what the TMC MP said was absolutely correct. BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary Nikhil Anand said, “When the World Cup winning team went to Hanuman temple to seek blessings of God by offering prayers, the TMC MP rebuked this and today Congress MP Tariq Anwar has supported him. We condemn Kirti and Tariq for dragging the Indian cricket team into politics.”BJP national spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said if someone is holding the trophy close and sharing his happiness with his family, and if he also goes to a temple, why can someone have any objection? “Everyone has offered their prayers; the players have played and won,” he said.
