Asia Cup: Kashmiri Pandits in J&K's Kulgam hold prayers for India's victory against Pakistan

The Kashmiri Pandit community in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Sunday, September 14, held prayers for India's victory against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 which is being played in Dubai. This is the first face-off between India and Pakistan since the Pahalgam terror attack and India's response – Operation Sindoor – to it in May.

As India and Pakistan come face to face in the Asia Cup match today, many countrymen held prayers for India's victory against the neighbouring country, while many boycotted the match altogether. India vs Pakistan LIVE Score, Asia Cup

Opposition parties have staged protests across the country to oppose the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match in Dubai, urging people to boycott the contest with a nation that sponsors terror.

Shiv Sena (UBT) organised protests in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu, while Aam Aadmi Party members staged a demonstration in Delhi.

In the south, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the Centre, asking whether the money earned through the match was more than the value of the lives of those killed in Pahalgam.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “Pakistan ke saath match khelna desh ke saath gaddari hai. Har Bharatiya is baat se behad gusse mein hai [Playing a match with Pakistan is treason against the country. Every Indian is extremely angry about this.]”

What does the Centre say?

The Indian government has allowed the national team to play against Pakistan at multinational events, including the Asia Cup, but has barred any bilateral engagement across sports.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has defended the ongoing clash between India and Pakistan cricket teams in Asia Cup, calling the criticism as “not fair”. He also termed Operation Sindoor and cricket match as two different issues.

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.”

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