Sourav Ganguly refuses to remove Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s portrait from Eden Gardens

The dreadful Pulwama attack on Thursday, February 14 has worsened the relationship between India and Pakistan, and the brawl doesn’t look like ending anytime soon. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that a ‘war’ is being contemplated. The terror attack took the lives of at least 40 CRPF soldiers and the horrendous occurring has rightly enraged people in India.

The two countries’ cricketing relationship has also been spoiled to some extent. D Sport stopped the broadcast of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and a few venues, including the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Cricket Club of India (CCI), the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore and the PCA Stadium in Mohali have removed the portrait of Imran Khan, the Pakistan Prime Minister.

A stern step from the Prince of Kolkata

The step by the venues was undoubtedly a mark of protest for the shambolic occurring in the district of Jammu and Kashmir. In the meantime, it has been learned that Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), has decided not to remove the portrait of Khan, also a former Pakistan cricketer, from the clubhouse of the Eden Gardens as per reports in Outlook.

The retired batsman has thereafter been termed as an anti-national. A political angle has also been etched to the CAB president’s bold move amidst the tensions between the nations. The Bengal Unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested Ganguly’s stand and it has been interpreted as a fight between the saffron party and the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in West Bengal.

Ganguly’s stand for Khan shows his respect for the 1992 World Cup-winning captain. In his book, a Century Is Not Enough, Ganguly revealed how Imran helped him get his position back in the Indian team. “Imran said something I shall never ever forget. ‘Sourav, you should fly higher. When you fly in the sky and see dark clouds, the only way to negotiate is to fly higher’.”

Last year, after Khan was on the verge of becoming PM following his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s victory in the General Elections, Ganguly congratulated Khan for the victory. “Congratulations to him. He has been fighting for a long time and now he is set to become the prime minister of Pakistan.”

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