Jammu, Feb 03: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday cautioned against the “mixing of sports and politics,” taking aim at media sensationalism around India-Pakistan cricket matches, which he said were often portrayed as “war” rather than sport.
Speaking on the side-lines of the Assembly’s Budget session, Abdullah told reporters, as per Kashmir Convener, that such framing only heightened unnecessary tensions between the two neighbours.
“We have always maintained that this is the inevitable outcome when sports and politics are mixed. We have ceased to make a distinction between the two,” he said.
His remarks come amid heightened anticipation for the next India-Pakistan encounter, expected during an upcoming ICC tournament, and follow Pakistan’s recent decision to participate in the World Cup without agreeing to bilateral cricketing ties with India.
The Chief Minister singled out sections of the media for amplifying the hype around clashes with Pakistan while underplaying contests against other cricketing nations.
“An India-Pakistan match is projected as a war. It is never covered as just a normal game,” Abdullah said. “Matches against other nations don’t get the same attention. The encounter with Pakistan is always presented as a colossal event.”
Chief Minister Omar also commented on recent trade developments between India and the United States, suggesting that heavy tariffs previously imposed by Washington were a response to India’s purchase of Russian oil.
“This tariff was very heavy for us. We know very well why the tariff was imposed. The U.S. President was not happy that we were buying oil from Russia,” he claimed.
Although India has not issued an official statement on the matter, Abdullah noted that the U.S. President had publicly announced India had halted such imports, leading to the recent lifting of tariffs.
“If we have stopped buying oil from Russia, it is a good thing,” he said, but immediately raised practical concerns: “On the other hand, where will we buy oil from? Will buying oil from other sources increase the price of petrol and diesel? We will have to wait and see.”
The Chief Minister emphasized that the removal of tariffs would bring relief to local exporters.
“By reducing tariffs, our exports will benefit. This is a positive step because many of our exporters were facing significant difficulties. Some even thought they would have to cease operations. Now that the tariffs have been reduced, it is hoped that their businesses will recover,” Chief Minister Omar said.
Chief Minister Omar also addressed the alleged victimisation and harassment of Kashmiris, stating the issue would be taken up for discussion in the ongoing Assembly session. He asserted that he would respond to queries related to the budget only on the floor of the House.
“We are going to have a discussion on the issue of victimising and harassing Kashmiris,” he said.
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