Amidst demand in certain quarters for boycotting Pakistan in the Cricket world cup, the BJP on Friday maintained that India should have nothing to do with the neighouring country following the Pulwama terror strike last Thursday.
"This dancing, singing... We should have nothing to do with Pakistan. We do not want to see those people who kill our soldiers," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters.
He was asked about his party's view on the demand that India should not play Pakistan in the cricket world cup after last week's terror attack in Pulwama in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Indian Cricket players Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar have voiced against India losing two points by boycotting Pakistan. Commenting on the issue, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also said forfeiting the match would not just cost two points but also be "worse than surrender".
Tharoor, in a tweet, said the government did not even declare national mourning following the Pulwama attack and wants to cancel a match three months from now.
"Reminder: at the height of the 1999 Kargil War, India played Pakistan in the cricket World Cup, & won. To forfeit the match this year would not just cost two points: it would be worse than surrender, since it would be defeat without a fight," the senior Congress leader said.
"Our government did not even declare national mourning wants to cancel a match 3 months from now? Is that a serious response to 40 lives taken in cold blood? BJP wants to divert attention from its own fecklessness and inept handling of the crisis. We need effective action, not gesture politics," the MP from Thiruvananthapuram added.
Asked about Tharoor's remarks, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said there should be no cricketing ties till terrorism being encouraged from Pakistani soil doesn't stop.
"India needs to adopt a strong stance against terrorism and in that strong stance cricket is included," he said.
The Committee of Administrators (CoA) running Indian cricket Friday decided against taking any stand on the World Cup clash against Pakistan, which is scheduled for June 16 in Old Trafford in England, but said it would individually urge ICC members to "sever ties with any nation that is a terrorist hub".
In a meeting to address the speculation around the match, the CoA deliberated on the matter but did not take any position for now. There is also a view that India stand to lose by boycotting Pakistan in the upcoming cricket World Cup as it will lose points, harming its prospect in the championship.