Gambhir echoes Modi rhetoric, says no to cricket with Pakistan

Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir jumped on the Modi bandwagon on Tuesday when he said his country should not have any ties with neighbouring Pakistan.

Talking to local media, Gambhir called for an end to cross-border relations in sports as well as entertainment. “India should not play any cricket with Pakistan and Bollywood should have nothing to do with Pakistan also,” he said.

Tensions between Pakistan and India have escalated over the Kashmir issue and the Uri attack.

Following the Uri attack, it has become extremely difficult for Pakistani actors to work in Bollywood.  Extremist party MNS issued an ultimatum for Pakistani actors to leave India, while the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) passed a motion prohibiting artistes from across the border to work in the industry.

Cinema owners and Exhibitors Association of India has also announced that it will not screen movies which have Pakistani actors in four states-Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Gujarat.

India without any proof blamed Pakistan for the attack on the army base. India has also been violating the ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) and on September two Pakistani soldiers were martyred in a violation. India claimed it had carried out 'surgical strikes' but this claim was dismissed by Pakistan. The government of Narendra Modi has also been criticised by opposition parties in India for failing to provide any evidence of the surgical strikes claim.

The baseless Indian accusations are being seen as a measure to divert attention from human rights abuses in Kashmir where since July over 110 Kashmiris have been martyred by Indian forces.