Not one religion

BJP MP Gautam Gambhir: Several Opposition leaders on Tuesday expressed support for Trinamool Congress MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad after his social media post questioning the decision to take the T20 World Cup trophy to a temple. Opposition leaders said Azad had raised an important concern and stressed that it was essential to ensure that the sentiments of people from all faiths are respected.

The controversy erupted after Azad, who was a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, criticised the act of taking the trophy to a temple by cricketer Suryakumar Yadav, head coach and former BJP MP Gautam Gambhir, and International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah.

In a post on social media platform X, Azad wrote, "As “Why NOT a Mosque? Why NOT a Church? Why NOT a Gurudwara?… The Trophy Belongs to 1.4 BILLION Indians of EVERY Faith — NOT ONE RELIGION'S VICTORY LAP!."