KKR–Mustafizur Controversy: Religious Leader Questions Shah Rukh Khan’s Decision

Mathura: Religious leader Aniruddhacharya stated on Sunday that the act of earning money in India and transferring it to individuals who hold extreme animosity towards Hindus must be addressed. In response to a question regarding Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan‘s buying of a Bangladeshi cricketer, he stated that “those who purchase Bangladeshi players demonstrate hatred towards the Hindu community” and should be questioned.

These remarks come in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directing Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to drop Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman, following widespread outrage across the country. In an interview with IANS, Aniruddhacharya stated that people in Bollywood view themselves as “gods” and believe they cannot be harmed, and this “arrogance” leads them to make such decisions.

The religious leader also talked about the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, the IPL series, Bengal’s Babri Masjid issue, the burning of Manusmriti in several parts of the nation, etc. IANS: Following the outrage over Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR buying Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman, the BCCI has asked the team management to drop the player. Do you think this is right? Aniruddhacharya: We believe that the one who plays with you, eats with you, is a friend.

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Who is our friend? One who burns our Hindus, one who kills our Sanatanis, how can they be friends? Those who hate our Hindus so much, who hate our Sanatanis so much, why should we play cricket with them? Those who are buying Bangladeshi players should be questioned. You are buying players for Rs 9 crore, as you have the money. But can’t you see that the Indians who have given you name and fame are getting hurt by the fact that you are giving crores to those who are brutally killing Hindus? Earning money from India, you are sending money to those who have extreme hatred for Hindus.

Doesn’t this prove that you (Shah Rukh Khan), too, hate Hindus? If you had loved Hindus, then you would have thought about this. How can we play cricket with people who are harming Hindus? Some might argue that such matters should not involve sports. But how can we ignore them? What does ‘dharma’ teach us? We should adhere to ‘dharma’. If a Muslim man were brutally killed in any Hindu nation, then we would have stood with the Muslim community.

But when the Hindus are being tormented, then everyone from across the religious lines should condemn it and stand against Bangladesh. IANS: Do you think Shah Rukh Khan’s team was unaware that buying the player might cause outrage in India? Aniruddhacharya: Bollywood people consider themselves like God. They believe that whatever they do, no one can harm them because Bollywood is very powerful. They have no shortage of money, so there is a sense of arrogance that no one can touch them. What harm has been done to Bollywood? They openly promote gutka and alcohol.

They teach society lessons of immorality. Has anyone really been able to stop them? Who has managed to harm them? Bollywood means power; they are powerful people in themselves. What can ordinary people like you and me do? With this arrogance, this decision was taken. But when the public raised its voice against it, then he (Shah Rukh Khan) had to reverse his decision.

What is the role of the film industry? They earn money by selling their films to the people of India and then distributing that wealth elsewhere. The people of India make them super-duper stars, even when their hearts beat for Bangladeshis. Isn’t this deception against us? It is cheating. You have played with the faith of Hindus and broken their trust. It is called betrayal. IANS: There are claims from some individuals and political groups that the Muslim community in India is experiencing discrimination.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Aniruddhacharya: What we oppose is the ideology within some Muslims that promotes hatred towards Hindus. Why is there hatred towards Hindus? Hindus do not hate Muslims. We do not oppose you, nor do we say that you are wrong. But we do oppose wrongdoing, acts where Hindus are being killed, throats are being slit, and people are being burned alive.

Ask Muslims whether they support this genocide? IANS: Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) founder Humayun Kabir, who was earlier with the Trinamool Congress, has announced that he would build a Babri Masjid in West Bengal’s Murshidabad. What is your opinion on this? Aniruddhacharya: I have heard even from Muslims that the Babri mosque did not exist before Babur. Muslims themselves should reflect on this — mosques did exist, but since when did the Babri mosque come into being? Those who invaded India committed atrocities against the daughters and sisters of this land.

How many Mughal rulers dishonoured Indian women? You eat this country’s food and drink its water, so should such structures exist in the name of foreign invaders that hurt the faith of Sanatan followers? Mosques can surely be built, but why only after destroying temples? We have never destroyed any mosque for a temple. They first destroyed our temple and constructed a mosque, then we had to destroy the mosque to reconstruct a temple. Why can’t we live together in peace and harmony? Why is there a need to fight? If a fight is the only option, then fight directly and decide on a date for the war.

Common people have to pay the price for it. I don’t think the politics of the temple-mosque is the right thing. IANS: Several instances are surfacing in recent days showing people, allegedly from the Bhim Army, burning the Manusmriti. What do you have to say about this? Aniruddhacharya: Those who burn the Manusmriti are simply ignorant and misguided. What can be said about ignorant people? The Vedas, Puranas, scriptures, religious texts, and the Constitution — who are these meant for? Only those who know how to read can read the law.

Those who do not know how to read, what will they read? Only those who know how to read can study the Gita and the Ramayana. If you do not even know how to read the Manusmriti, then how will you understand its meaning? And if you have not read it, then what are you burning it for? I saw a video of a Dalit brother, he was also raising slogans of ‘Jai Bhim, Jai Bhim’ — but he said something very meaningful. He said, ‘Look, I have read a little of the Manusmriti, and I do not find anything in it because of which it should be burned’. The Dalits have been misled by some people, due to which all this started happening.

Those who are misleading our Dalit community are none other than some Muslims. Some Muslims tell our Dalit brothers that they stand with them… If Muslims are such well-wishers of Dalits, then why did Pakistan’s first Law Minister (Jogendra Nath Mandal) have to flee back to India after three or four years? He was a Law Minister, yet Muslims there forced him out… Dipu Das, who was brutally killed in Bangladesh, was a Dalit youth. Why was he killed by the Muslim mob? The people should think about this.