BJP trying to divert attention from its failure by cancelling match with Pak: Tharoor

New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that the central government led by BJP wants to divert attention from its "inept" handling of the Pulwama terror attack crisis and hence wants to cancel the cricket match with Pakistan.

"Our government did not even declare national mourning and wants to cancel a match 3 months from now? Is that a serious response to 40 lives taken in cold blood? BJP wants to divert attention from its own fecklessness and inept handling of the crisis. We need effective action, not gesture politics," tweeted Shashi Tharoor.

He said in his earlier tweet, "At the height of the 1999 Kargil War, India played Pakistan in the cricket World Cup and won. To forfeit the match this year would not just cost two points: it would be worse than surrender since it would be defeat without a fight".

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had already said that any decision on cricketing matters of India and Pakistan will be taken collectively by the BCCI, central government and security establishments.

As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) on February 14. In the wake of the Pulwama attack, there have been demands from across the country to boycott the World Cup match against Pakistan.