3 Muslims arrested in India for cheering Pakistan cricket team
Police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has arrested three Kashmiri students for allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s win over India in Sunday’s T20 World Cup cricket game.
Police said they shouted “anti-India and pro-Pakistan” slogans during the match and were charged with “promoting enmity and cyber terrorism”.
The arrests in the city of Agra are the latest in the crackdown against Muslims for allegedly cheering the Pakistani team.
Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets.
Relations between the South Asian neighbors have always been frosty and a cricket match often worsens these tensions.
Critics say after India lost the match, many Indians also forgot their sportsmanship, looking for scapegoats to blame.
Soon after the game ended, Mohammed Shami, the only Muslim in the Indian cricket team, was viciously trolled and abused online. Social media users accused him of deliberately giving runs to the Pakistani team, while others labeled him a traitor.
The three Kashmiri students in Agra were suspended on Monday by their college for allegedly posting WhatsApp status in praise of Pakistani cricketers. Police said they were arrested on Wednesday after a complaint by some members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“These people are trying to stir tension, which might spoil the atmosphere of the country,” a news website reported, quoting the police complaint against them.
Since Sunday, several other Muslims have got into trouble for cheering the Pakistani cricket team.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES