India must not engage with Pak in any sphere: Abhishek

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said that India must not engage with Pakistan in any sphere as our neighbouring country continues to export terror. He also asserted that the only engagement with Pakistan should be on the battlefield.

He said that there should not be any cricket match with Pakistan as it wages a proxy war. “There is no neutral ground. There is no cricket pitch wise enough to wash off the blood of our martyrs,” he added.

In a post on X, Banerjee on Monday stated: “Our Tricolour flies high not because of the bat and ball, but because of the unmatched courage and valour of our armed forces. We honour our cricketers, and I deeply respect the game. But as a nation, we revere our soldiers. Those who stand guard while we cheer in stadiums, those who bleed while others play.”

Banerjee said that if at all any battle has to be fought with Pakistan, it should be done at the Line-of-Control (LoC) and he wants that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) be reclaimed and that would be the best trophy for our country. “Extending handshake to a nation that fires bullets across our borders is not diplomacy- it’s a bloody betrayal! Let justice, not entertainment, be our goal. If there is to be a match with Pakistan, let it be fought at the LoC and let PoJK BE THE ONLY TROPHY we seek. ANYTHING LESS IS AN INSULT to our MARTYRS and an INJUSTICE AND BETRAYAL to the victims of PAHALGAM. PERIOD!” Banerjee posted on social media.

He further stated: “INDIA MUST NOT ENGAGE WITH PAKISTAN in any sphere. The only engagement we should have with Pakistan is on the BATTLEFIELD and the only prize worth WINNING is Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). For decades Pakistan has exported terror, bled our nation by causing irreparable loss to Indian lives and families. And yet, every now and then, we hear calls to “keep politics out of sport.” NO! THIS HAS TO STOP.”