"Not fair to oppose Ind vs Pak match": Union Minister Manohar Lal says 'Op Sindoor, cricket different issues'

Karnal (Haryana) [India], September 14 (ANI): Union Minister Manohar Lal defended the move to play the cricket match against Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025 and said that the game and Operation Sindoor are two "different issues".
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the Union Minister acknowledged the sentiment behind the game and said that it is "not fair" to oppose the India vs Pakistan match.
He said, "Both issues are different. As far as the matter between India and Pakistan (the cricket match), Operation Sindoor, and other things are concerned, nobody will say that the match will happen just by comparing them. But as far as the game is concerned, the game has sentiment, and players also worked hard for it, so it is not fair to oppose it. That's why whatever has been decided has been decided thoughtfully."
The Indian cricket team is set to play against Pakistan's team in the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday in the UAE.
The match has sparked a political row, as this is the first game between the two nations after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives.
Earlier, criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the upcoming cricket match, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the decision to play cricket matches with the rival country and sought clarity from the government on the monetary gains compared to the loss of human lives.
"My question to the Chief Minister of Assam, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and all of them is that you don't have the power to refuse to play a cricket match against Pakistan, which asked for the religion of our 26 citizens in Pahalgam and shot them..." Owaisi said, speaking to the media.
The AIMIM chief asked if the money earned through the match is more valuable than the lives of 26 citizens who were killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
"We ask the Prime Minister, when you said that blood and water cannot flow together, dialogue and terrorism cannot happen together, then how much money will the BCCI get from one cricket match, Rs 2000 crore, Rs 3000 crore? Is the value of money more than the lives of our 26 citizens? This is what the BJP should tell... We stood with those 26 citizens yesterday as well, we stand with them today, and we will stand with them tomorrow as well," he stated.
The family members of the victims of the Pahalgam attack have also criticised the government for the India vs Pakistan match.
Expressing his anguish over the match, Sawan Parmar, who lost his father and brother in the attack, said that Operation Sindoor seemed like a "waste" now.
"When we got to know that the India vs Pakistan match is being organised, we were very disturbed. No sort of connection should remain with Pakistan. If you want to play the match, bring me back my 16-year-old brother who was shot with so many bullets. Operation Sindoor seems to be a waste now..." he said while speaking to ANI. (ANI)