Srinagar, Jan 2: Senior Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) leader and MLA Langate Sheikh Khursheed on Friday termed the summoning of Kashmiri cricketer Furqan Bhat for wearing a Palestinian flag symbol during a cricket match as unwarranted and discriminatory.
Sheikh Khursheed said expressing solidarity with Palestine cannot be criminalised, particularly when India officially supports the Palestinian cause and has consistently stood with Palestine at international forums. He pointed out the double standards in public discourse, recalling that senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had carried a bag bearing a Palestine symbol inside Parliament, yet no action was taken. He further noted that even BJP leaders and Union ministers have publicly acknowledged meetings with Hamas leaders in the past. “If such expressions and engagements are acceptable for political leaders, targeting a sportsperson exposes selective outrage,” he said.
MLA Langate cautioned authorities against turning symbolic expression into a law-and-order issue and urged them to uphold constitutional values. He said freedom of expression must be applied uniformly, without discrimination based on region or identity, warning that such actions only deepen alienation among youth.
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