'Traitors like Shah Rukh Khan... I'm calling him a traitor because everything he has is given by India, given by the people of India... are investing it in players from a country that is working against India.'
As the controversy surrounding the acquisition of Bangladeshi cricket Mustafizur Rahman by IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders continues to escalate, BJP leader Sangeet Som has called the franchise's co-owner Shah Rukh a traitor and accused him of investing money in players from a country working against India.
The three-time champions' decision to sign the right-arm pacer for Rs 9.2 crore (Rs 92 million) for the upcoming IPL edition has faced intense backlash following the recent incidents of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
"Hindus are being persecuted in Bangladesh, women and girls are being raped, their homes are being burned, and anti-India slogans are being chanted there. Despite all this, traitors like Shah Rukh Khan... I'm calling him a traitor because everything he has is given by India, given by the people of India... are investing it in players from a country that is working against India.
"I want to tell people like Shah Rukh Khan that this will not be tolerated. At any cost, they will not be able to get Mustafizur Rahman to play here. He won't be able to step outside the airport," Som added.
Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam had also urged Shah Rukh to remove Mustafizur from his team.
"When the entire country is enraged and angry at Bangladesh, anyone in India who has even the slightest connection to Bangladeshis could become a target of that anger. If there is a Bangladeshi player in KKR squad, before he becomes a major target, we request Shah Rukh to remove him from the team. This will be for his own good and will also protect India's interests," Sanjay said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey, meanwhile, said that Bangladeshi players shouldn't be allowed to play on Indian soil.
He added that if Shah Rukh does not pay heed to the calls to remove Mustafizur, it means he doesn't understand the nation's sentiments.
"Bangladeshi players shouldn't be allowed to play on Indian soil. Both Pakistani and Bangladeshi players should be prohibited. They harbour hatred towards us and murder our Hindu brothers and sisters."
"Shah Rukh should immediately remove that Bangladeshi cricketer from his team. If he doesn't do this even after all this uproar, it will prove that, while he lives in this country and earns money here, he doesn't understand this nation's sentiments."
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