Indian Punjab chief minister mocks his national cricket team over handshake controversy

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the Indian cricket team’s gesture of avoiding handshakes with Pakistani players before and after the recent match. 

He mocked the way Indian media amplified the act, asking, “The media is celebrating the Indian team for not shaking hands with the Pakistani team. Was it Operation Sindoor? If you don’t want to shake hands, then why play with them at all? You bowled, they batted, you caught their shots, wasn’t that also an interaction?”

He also slammed the Indian government for barring Sikh pilgrims from traveling to Pakistan. 

Sikh pilgrims were scheduled to visit Pakistan in November to mark the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. However, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory barring the visit, a move that has drawn sharp criticism.

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Opposition parties and Sikh religious leaders in Indian Punjab strongly condemned the restriction. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the central government had no authority to obstruct religious freedom. “If India can play cricket matches with Pakistan, why can’t Sikh pilgrims visit Pakistan?” he questioned.

Former Lok Sabha member Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Home Minister Amit Shah to reconsider the decision, warning that denying access to Kartarpur would deeply hurt Sikh religious sentiments. He called for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor.