As India prepares for the World Cup final, a major rival of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the party of ‘saffronising’ cricket. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, criticized the BJP regime, alleging that they even turned the Indian cricket team’s practice kits into orange.
In a speech in Kolkata on Friday, Banerjee expressed pride in Indian players, predicting they would become world champions. However, she pointed out the change in the color of their practice kits, stating, “We are proud of our Indian players, and I believe they will be the world champion. But even their dress has been turned to saffron when they practice. They used to wear blue earlier. Now everything is turning saffron!”
Banerjee further commented on the apparent proliferation of saffron in various aspects of public life, noting that even metro stations in India are being painted in the ruling party’s colors. She asserted that Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister, seeks to place his name wherever possible, alluding to the naming of the Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, where the World Cup final will be played.
Known as a key opponent of Modi, Banerjee has previously accused him of orchestrating the Pulwama attack.
Pakistan and Russia agree on joint efforts against terrorism
In another development, Pakistan and Russia have jointly acknowledged the necessity for comprehensive strategies to address challenges related to various forms of radicalization, the proliferation of terrorist ideologies, and the misuse of information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes.
This consensus emerged during the tenth session of the Pakistan-Russia Joint Working Group on Combating International Terrorism and Other Challenges to Security, which took place in Islamabad on November 16, as reported by the Foreign Office.
