'Tricolour would be unfurled in PoK soon:' UP minister sends out message to Shahid Afridi

Following former Pakistan cricketer, Shahid Afridi's anti-India remarks on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh minister Anand Swaroop Shukla has stated that the Indian tricolour would soon unfurl in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). This comes after the former Pakistan team captain visited PoK recently in the name of providing relief material, accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of oppressing the people of Kashmir on the grounds of religion and alleged that the Indian Army had stationed troops the size of Pakistan Army near the border in J&K, in his latest and ungrateful attempt to bait India, people of which have contributed generously to Afridi's own charities amid COVID-19. 

The UP minister has remarked, "Pakistan occupied Kashmir would very soon be a part of India, and the national tricolour would be unfurled there."

READ | Harbhajan Echoes Yuvraj's Pledge To Never Support Afridi Again, Adds 'no Matter What'

Afridi faces backlash

Following Afridi's remarks, several Indian cricketers had slammed the Pakistan cricketer, including Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh, who had earlier made an appeal to support his foundation to battle COVID-19. Both the Indian players criticised Afridi and pledged to never support him again. Team India opener Shikhar Dhawan highlighted that at a time when the entire world is fighting Coronavirus, Afridi is debating over Kashmir. The Indian batsman expressed that Kashmir is and will always remain India's integral part. Reflecting upon Afridi's alleged remarks of stationing troops in Kashmir, Dhawan warned the former Pakistan cricketer and cited that one Indian soldier is equal to 1.25 lakh soldiers and asked him to do the math himself if Pakistan were to get 22 crore soldiers.

READ | Proud Kashmiri Suresh Raina Slams Shahid Afridi, Says 'do Something For Failed Nation' Pak

Afridi's nemesis and former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, too, hit out at the former Pakistan skipper. Taking to Twitter, BJP MP Gautam Gambhir called the trio of Imran-Bajwa-Afridi as jokers who were fooling the people and said that 'getting Kashmir' would be a distant dream for the neighbouring nation. Gambhir lashed out at Afridi and said that a country of 20 crore population backing their armed Force of 7 lakh was still 'begging' for Kashmir for 70 years. Gautam Gambhir ended his message for Shahid Afridi by leaving him with a stinging question about Bangladesh and warning him not to spew venom about India and PM Modi. 

READ | Gautam Gambhir Slams Pak 'joker' Trio Imran-Bajwa-Afridi For Peddling Anti-India Nonsense

READ | Dhawan Tears Afridi Apart Over Anti-India Remark; Warns '1 Indian = 1.25 Lakh Soldiers'