'Dressing room is sanctum sanctorum of team', Kirti Azad hits out at PM

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leader Kirti Azad Jha on Tuesday slammed Prime MInister Narendra Modi for entering in the dressing of the Indian Cricket team and said the dressing room is the sanctum sanctorum of any team and ICC does not allow anybody to enter these rooms apart from the players and the support staff.

In a post on X, Jha a former MP, ex-cricket player and a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, said, "The dressing room is the sanctum sanctorum of any team. ICC does not allow anybody to enter these rooms apart from the players and the support staff. Prime Minister of India should have met the team outside the dressing room in the private visitors area."

"I say this as a sportsman and not politician. Would Narendra Modi allow his supporters to come and console or congratulate him in his bedroom, dressing room or the toilet?" Jha asked after the video of the Prime Minister meeting the players of the Indian cricket team in the dressing room after their defeat in the final match of the Cricket World Cup tournament against Australia surfaced.

"Sportspersons are far more disciplined than politicians. Last, but not the least, the man and whose team did it for India, In 1983 Kapil Dev was also not invited. Now tell me who is doing politics?" said the Trinamool Congress leader while slamming the cricket body for not inviting Kapil Dev to watch the 2023 Cricket World Cup final match at Gujarat's Ahmedabad.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi too hit out at the Prime Minister, saying that the cricketers clearly looked uncomfortable having to deal with the loss and then have cameras thrust on them in the dressing room.

In a post on X, Chaturvedi said, "The Indian cricketers clearly look uncomfortable, having to deal with the loss and then have cameras thrust on them inside the dressing room for Prime Ministers team to record ‘pep talk’. Yeah you can troll this tweet as much as you’ll want."

India lost to Australia in the Cricket World Cup final by six wickets played at Narendra Modi stadium on Sunday. Australia lifted the Cricket World Cup trophy for the sixth time.