Rajasthan BJP chief says Pakistan remarks were about cricket

Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore said on October 15 that India would stand with Pakistan if the United States and Pakistan went to war, citing Pakistan as a neighbour. His remarks at an event in Jaipur drew criticism from opposition Congress leaders, and Rathore said the following day that he had been speaking about cricket, not war. In the remarks reported from the event, Rathore said India would support Pakistan in a conflict with the United States because of the countries’ neighbouring relationship. He added that India would stand with India in a dispute between India and Pakistan. The statements were circulated in a video and prompted political criticism. Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed questioned what action the Bharatiya Janata Party would take against its Rajasthan president. Other Congress figures, including Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, also condemned Rathore’s remarks. Their criticism included accusations that his words showed support for Pakistan; these were political statements, not independently established findings. On October 16, Rathore said the comments referred to a cricket match and had been taken out of context. He described a...