Ex-Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi’s remarks hailing Rahul Gandhi’s “positive mindset” triggered a sharp BJP response, reviving the “Congress-Pakistan ties” debate.

New Delhi: A fresh political flashpoint erupted on Tuesday after former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi praised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, calling him a leader with a “positive mindset.” Speaking during a live show in Pakistan, Afridi said Rahul Gandhi believes in dialogue and does not follow a divisive approach, unlike the ruling government in India which, according to him, plays “the Hindu-Muslim card.”

The comment immediately drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla remarked that Afridi’s statement only reinforced the claim that the “Congress-Pakistan Yaarana is decades old.” Union Minister Kiren Rijiju went a step further, alleging that Rahul Gandhi has long been “the darling of Pakistan.”

The Congress, however, quickly retaliated. Social media chairperson Supriya Shrinate shared a photograph of BJP leader Anurag Thakur with Afridi, accusing the ruling party of hypocrisy while dismissing the BJP’s attack on Rahul Gandhi.

Afridi, in the same conversation, also drew parallels between India’s current policies toward Pakistan and Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying: “Is one Israel not enough that you are trying to become another?”

Political Reactions 

Afridi’s remarks come in the backdrop of heightened emotions around the Asia Cup 2025, where tensions were already visible after Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha did not exchange a handshake at the toss.

Analysts note that such international endorsements, even when casual, often become ammunition in India’s political discourse. For the BJP, Afridi’s comments were framed as validation of their narrative against the Congress, while the Congress tried to flip the charge by pointing to the BJP’s own interactions with the former cricketer.

At a time when relations between India and Pakistan remain strained, even a cricketing figure’s casual remark has the potential to snowball into a major political talking point at home.