In a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Indian cricket team won all its matches but lost the final game because “sinners” participated in it.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took a fresh dig at the BJP, saying the Indian cricket team won all its matches except the final in the World Cup, claiming that the final was attended by “sinners”.
Addressing Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, he said that if the final match was held in Kolkata or Mumbai, the Indian cricket team would have won the World Cup.
I can assure you that had the final of the (World Cup) taken place at Eden (Garden in Kolkata) or Wankhede (Stadium in Mumbai), our victory would have been certain. They (BJP) have given them the saffron jersey,” she said.
The TMC supremo insisted that Indian cricket players “protested” and did not wear the saffron-coloured jersey during their matches. While Team India’s match jersey is blue, orange kit is worn during practice sessions.
Banerjee said, “All the federations have been captured by political parties. There is saffron in cricket and saffron in Kabaddi.”
Stepping up his attack against the BJP, he said saffron is “the color of sacrifices, but you are the sufferers”. Earlier on November 17, Banerjee had taken a fresh dig at the BJP, saying the party had “saffronized” various institutions across the country, including the Indian cricket team, whose practice jerseys are saffron.
He said, “Now everything is changing to saffron color. We take great pride in our Indian players and I have full faith in their ability to become global champions. However, during their training sessions, their attire has taken on a saffron hue.
They used to wear blue color before. Used to wear.”The BJP hit back at Banerjee and cited the example of the Netherlands cricket team, whose members wear saffron jerseys.