Modi’s False Pahalgam Rhetoric Hoodwinks Uneducated and Pliable Indian Cricketers

Modi’s False Pahalgam Rhetoric Hoodwinks Uneducated and Pliable Indian Cricketers

RMN News Report Highlights:

🏆 India refused to accept the Asia Cup silverware from Pakistan minister and ACC president Mohsin Naqvi after defeating Pakistan in the final.

🧠 Critics allege that Prime Minister Modi “poisoned the minds” of uneducated and pliable Indian cricketers by blaming Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack without evidence.

🤝 Unruly Indian cricketers had previously refused customary handshakes with Pakistan players during a Group A clash, linking the snub to the Pahalgam terror attack and “Operation Sindoor”.

🗳️ The controversy is widely viewed as a political “smokescreen” orchestrated by the Modi government to incite hatred and distract from allegations of widespread electoral fraud.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | September 29, 2025

India clinched the Asia Cup championship for the ninth time on Sunday, September 28, defeating Pakistan by five wickets in the final. However, the victory was marred by controversy when the champions refused to accept the silverware during the presentation ceremony from Pakistan minister and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi.

This trophy refusal incident concluded a tournament mired in controversy, linked to Pakistan cricketers’ provocative gestures on the field and Team India’s refusal to shake hands with the Men in Green. This unsportsmanlike conduct was cited as a reaction to the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 innocents dead and forced India to launch Operation Sindoor, which refers to the Indian military’s attack on Pakistan, which took place in May 2025. The operation was a retaliatory response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi Congratulates Team Amid Blame Game

Following the victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Men in Blue on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers”.

Critics argue that Modi blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack without presenting any evidence. In fact, Modi’s false rhetoric “poisoned the minds” of uneducated and pliable Indian cricketers who choose to be hoodwinked by Modi’s dirty politics, thereby disrespecting the game, which is actually played by hardly 8 or 10 poor and underdeveloped countries of the world.

Prior Incident: Handshake Refusal Two Weeks Earlier

The final refusal on September 28 followed a similar incident approximately two weeks prior. On Sunday, September 14, 2025, during a Group A Asia Cup clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Indian team demonstrated what many termed “unsportsmanlike behavior” by refusing the customary pre- and post-match handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav avoided the customary handshake with Pakistan’s captain, Salman Agha, at the toss, and the snub was repeated after India secured a seven-wicket victory. The unruly Indian cricketers linked their actions to the Pahalgam terror attack that occurred in April. In response, Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony.

Captain Yadav defended his team’s actions, stating that the win was a “proper reply” to Pakistan. He confirmed alignment with the government and BCCI on the matter. Yadav dedicated the win to the victims of the Pahalgam attack and the armed forces involved in “Operation Sindoor,” adding that “Few things in life are ahead of the sportsman spirit”.

Political Smokescreen and Allegations of Electoral Fraud

While Indian cricketers defended their behavior by citing the Pahalgam attack, critics note that the perpetrators of the April attack have still not been identified or apprehended. Many critics view the incident as a political “smokescreen” orchestrated by the Narendra Modi government to incite hatred and distract from allegations of widespread electoral fraud.

This strategy is allegedly part of a broader political playbook detailed in the recently released research report, “Unveiling the Smokescreen of Indian Democracy: Fabricated Factors Masking Electoral Manipulation”. The report posits that Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) often stir up anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim sentiment to create a “smokescreen” of religious hatred used to conceal widespread electoral manipulation, including the alleged use of electronic voting machine (EVM) fraud and other “dirty tricks”.

Opposition Demands International Probes

The controversy is heightened by growing accusations of “vote theft” against the Modi government. Opposition leaders and activists across India have branded Modi a “Vote Chor” (Vote Thief). Opposition MPs held a campaign on August 19, 2025, in New Delhi accusing PM Modi of vote theft in successive elections.

Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has questioned the government’s official narrative surrounding the Pahalgam attack due to the lack of evidence and arrests, suggesting the possibility of “homegrown terrorists”. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge echoed this stance, demanding accountability and noting that the Modi government frequently attributes terror attacks to Pakistan without conclusive evidence, a claim often disputed by international bodies like the IMF, FATF, and the UN Security Council.

Critics believe the Modi government may be orchestrating terror attacks for political advantage, subsequently blaming Pakistan to rally support among Hindu voters. Allegations of “fake sketches” of terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack have further fueled these suspicions.

Given the difficulty of securing a fair investigation within India, there is a mounting demand for independent, UN-supervised investigations into the Pahalgam attack (April 2025) and several other major incidents. These include the Pulwama attack (2019), the Mumbai attacks (2008), the Godhra train burning (2002), the Gujarat pogrom (2002), the 2020 violence in Delhi targeting Muslims, the murder of Gujarat politician Haren Pandya, and the mysterious death of Judge Loya.

Modi’s alleged criminal activities have been historically scrutinized, including in the 2023 BBC documentary, “India: The Modi Question,” and through the previous revocation of his visa by the United States due to his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat mass murders. A proposal has emerged for Modi’s case to be handled by an international court, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) or the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Today, nearly 1.4 billion Indians are suffering under the Modi regime, grappling with “unprecedented poverty, corruption, inflation, unemployment, lawlessness, and religious animosity.” Yet, there appears to be no opposition party with the courage or capacity to defeat Modi and the BJP.

Critics stress that Indian cricketers have a responsibility to behave as true sportsmen, upholding the values of fair play and respect when competing against Pakistan, and should resist being co-opted into the political agendas of the Modi regime.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.

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