Shashi Tharoor clarifies comment on ‘boycott’ campaign for India-Lanka match

New Delhi:

Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Shashi Tharoor today clarified that his comments on an alleged boycott campaign, which he claims led to the low turnout for the final One Day International cricket match between India and Sri Lanka on Sunday, has hurt some people. was misunderstood by Without specifying the alleged extortion, he insisted that the boycott should target only the person against whom the boycotters are protesting. He said that boycotting the game only hurts the prospects of cricket in Thiruvananthapuram. His reference was towards Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurrahiman. who hit back On complaints of high ticket prices, saying that those who cannot afford it need not attend the matches, irks the cricket fans of the state.

Although Mr Tharoor, who was at the stadium to watch the match, blamed the poor attendance on the sports minister’s remarks, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) said the low attendance was due to the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, the Pongal festival and some CBSE issues. The exam is going to start from Monday.

“Boycott is a democratic right, but they should target the person against whom the boycotters are protesting. I have nothing against those who were offended by the minister’s harsh remark that those who cannot afford to buy tickets He is not required to attend the match.” The Sports Minister, who didn’t bother enough to attend the match, doesn’t care whether the gallery is full or empty. He was unaffected by the boycott. The protesters should have boycotted the minister, not the game. The boycott has only hurt the future prospects of cricket in TVM,” he said in a series of tweets clarifying his remarks.

1. It appears that my statement expressing regret over the poor attendance at the 3rd India-Sri Lanka ODI as a result of calls for a social media boycott by fans angered by the Kerala Sports Minister’s insensitive remarks has been misrepresented by some. has been done.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 16, 2023

The Congress MP said the KCA, “which has nothing to do with the minister or his insensitive comments”, is conducting a good polling to strengthen its case for Thiruvananthapuram being selected as the World Cup venue later this year. was needed. “If tomorrow the BCCI votes less against us, then only sports fans will have to bear the brunt,” he said.

He said that his remarks at the stadium yesterday had been partially reported and twisted by some, and that as a cricket fan and local MP, he only wishes that the top level in the constituency Cricket flourished.

The minister had earlier said, “What is the need to reduce taxes? The logic is that the country is witnessing a rise in prices, so taxes should be reduced. Those who are starving need not go to watch matches.”

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Tharoor had said that the minister could have avoided saying what he said, and that the public should not have boycotted the match. “I saw some campaigns on social media to boycott the match. It appears that their campaign was effective. I think it was illogical to boycott it. I was lucky enough to watch the match, and the people who came here,” Congress MP said.

CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan, however, came to the minister’s aid by saying that Mr. Abdurrahiman only meant to say that those who are poor cannot come to watch the match.

Govindan said, “It was the media that made his statement controversial.”

Arya Rajendran, mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, said that the drop in ticket sales was probably because India had already won the series, or because it is an ODI that is longer than a 20–20 match, so people have little money to spend. There may not be much time for the game, news agency PTI reported. However, he added that the increase in entertainment tax on ticket prices or the minister’s statement could not be the reason for the drop in sales.