A day after Shahid Afridi dubbed the conditions in Kashmir as “appalling and worrisome” and called for United Nation’s intervention to stop the “bloodshed”, Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday said his priority stays with his nation and that he would never support anyone who opposes his country.
“As an Indian you want to express what is best for your nation and my interests are always for the benefit of our nation. If anything opposes it, I would never support it for sure. But having said that, it’s a very personal choice for someone to make comment about certain issues,” Kohli said.
The 29-year-old, who is set to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming 11th edition of the Indian Premier League, added, “Unless I have total knowledge of the issues and the intricacies of it I don’t engage in it. Obviously, it goes without saying that your priority stays with your nation and anything that opposes it, you oppose it as well.”
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev also hit back at Afridi over his anti-India remark, saying that one should not give importance to people like the former Pakistan skipper.
“Who is he? Why are we giving importance to him? We should not be giving importance to certain people,” Dev, who won India’s first World Cup in 1983, said.
Joining the bandwagon of cricketers slamming Afridi for his controversial tweet on Kashmir issue, Indian batsman Suresh Raina called on the 38-year-old to rather ask Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in Kashmir.
“Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so always. Kashmir is the pious land where my forefathers were born. I hope @SAfridiOfficial bhai asks Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in our Kashmir. We want peace, not bloodshed and violence,” he tweeted.
A day after security forces in Kashmir killed 12 terrorists, Afridi took to Twitter and said “innocents” were being shot down in Kashmir.
“Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other international bodies and why aren’t they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?” he had tweeted.
Soon after Afridi’s tweet, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir had mocked the former Pakistan player and referred to him as a perennially immature person.
Gambhir had written that Afridi’s tweet on the current situation in Kashmir and his reference to United Nations was according to “his age bracket”.
“Media called me for reaction on @SAfridiOfficial tweet on OUR Kashmir and @UN. What’s there to say? Afridi is only looking for @UN which in his retarded dictionary means “UNDER NINTEEN” his age bracket. Media can relax, @SAfridiOfficial is celebrating a dismissal off a no-ball!!!,” Gambhir had tweeted.
At least 12 terrorists and three soldiers were among 20 people killed in three separate encounters that broke out in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday. As many as 25 others were injured in the encounters.
