NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined urgent listing to a petition seeking cancellation of the upcoming Asia Cup cricket match to be played between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 14.
As counsel mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi for urgent listing on the matter, the court asked, "What is the urgency? It's a match, let it be. The match is this Sunday. What can be done?"
The counsel submitted the plea would become infructuous if the matter is not listed on Friday.
“Match is this Sunday? What can we do about that? Let it be. The match should go on,” the bench said.
A petition was filed by four law students led by Urvashi Jain, contending organising a cricket match with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, sent a message inconsistent with national dignity and public sentiment.
The plea sought cancellation of the cricket match between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 tournament.
“Playing cricket matches between India and Pakistan shows that the entertainment and revenue generation is much more important than the lives of our brave soldiers and civilians. This scheduled match is nothing but a mockery of the emotions of all the citizens of India. It is high time to take steps to bring the BCCI under the control/purview of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports,” the plea said.
The petitioners sought directions to bring the BCCI under the control/purview of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
Their plea said cricket between nations is meant to show harmony and friendship. But after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, when our people died and our soldiers risked everything, playing with Pakistan sent the opposite message that while our soldiers sacrificed their lives, we are celebrating sports with the same country sheltering terrorists, the plea said.
The plea claimed that the match can also hurt the sentiments of the families of the victims who lost their lives at the hands of the Pakistani terrorists, and the dignity of the nation and the security of citizens come before entertainment.
The cricket match in the upcoming Asia Cup is detrimental to the national Interests and to the morale of the armed forces and of the nation as a whole, it contended.
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