Indian journalist Rohit Juglan, who found himself at the receiving end of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja’s ire, has got support and sympathy from an unlikely quarter. Many fans and journalists in Pakistan called out Raja’s behaviour as unprofessional and uncalled for.
On Sunday, after Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka at the Asia Cup finals in Dubai, Raja held a brief interaction with the media outside the stadium. Juglan asked the PCB chairman if he had any message for Pakistanis who were disheartened after their defeat.
“Awaam badi nakhush hai, unke liye koi sandesh? (Pakistani fans are not happy after this defeat. Do you have a message for them?),” asked Juglan in Hindi. A visibly irate Raja took offence at the question. “I guess you are from India, your people must be very happy,” he said and snatched Juglan’s phone from him.
The video clip went viral, with fans on both sides of the border weighing in on the event. Jugal, who works for Sports Yaari and had gone to Dubai to cover the match, was startled.
“As a PCB chairman, you can’t snatch my phone away,” Juglan told ThePrint, reacting to the incident. “He [Raja] said I was happy that Pakistan had lost. I wasn’t happy when I asked that question.”
The journalist expressed a similar sentiment on Twitter. “Was my question wrong – Are Pakistan fans not unhappy,” he said in a post.
क्या मेरा सवाल ग़लत था – क्या पाकिस्तान के फ़ैन नाखुश नहीं है – ये बहुत ग़लत था एक बोर्ड के चेयरमैन के रूप में – आपको मेरा फ़ोन नहीं छीनना चाहिये था – that’s not right Mr Chairman Taking my phone was not right @TheRealPCB @iramizraja #PAKvSL #SLvsPAK pic.twitter.com/tzio5cJvbG
— रोहित जुगलान Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) September 11, 2022
This is not the first time when Raja is in news for making controversial remarks. In 2021, when he was appointed the PCB chairman, he had said- “India controlled ICC and other countries have no courage to stand against it fearing India’s power.”
Jugal got back his phone almost immediately after the verbal altercation.
“But no one from the group of people surrounding Raja came to me with an apology. A few people questioned the veracity of incident, but then I showed the video. Some Pakistani journalists came forward and apologised,” Juglan added.
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Support from across the border
Many Pakistanis, too, reached out to Juglan, criticising Raja’s behaviour, said the journalist.
“There were many Indian people who were supporting Pakistan in the match and see how Ramiz Raja responded. I apologise from Ramiz Raja And Pakistan’s side,” said Mohsin Ali, a Pakistani sports journalist in a video clip he uploaded on social media
Rohit bhai I am Pakistani. I fully agree there was nothing wrong with your question. Ramiz Raja behaviour is unacceptable.
— Saad (@307Saad) September 11, 2022
Another Twitter user from Pakistan also reached out to Jugal on Twitter.
“Rohit bhai I am Pakistani. I fully agree there was nothing wrong with your question. Ramiz Raja behaviour is unacceptable,” he said.
Rohit bhai I am Pakistani. I fully agree there was nothing wrong with your question. Ramiz Raja behaviour is unacceptable.
— Saad (@307Saad) September 11, 2022
Worst behavior by ramiz raja full support to @rohitjuglan on this
— Mustafa (@MustafaSays_) September 12, 2022
A few cricket fans, however, took Raja’s side and questioned Jugal’s ‘ethics’.
Awesome Ramiz Raja. Indian journalists should learn Journalism Ethics First. #AsiaCup2022Final #PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/yPYCxHF9Y5
— Mughees Ali (@mugheesali81) September 11, 2022
An indian journalist pretending to be a pakistani asked Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja "Awaam bohat naraaj hy. Koi sandais dena chahenge?" – The poor journalist was acting over smart but chairman PCB Ramiz Raja caught his accent and told Indian journo better not to have any concern with
— Arfa Feroz Zake (@ArfaSays_) September 11, 2022
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Loss was a blow
Incidentally, Ramiz Raja was also seen getting angry at a fan for trying to click a photo with him. “Please keep your hands off me and stay away from the camera,” Ramiz said to the fan.
In Sunday’s Asia Cup final, the Pakistanis went in as favourites but a spirited Lankan team who were the underdogs, demolished the latter’s batting to lift the cup. Pakistan lost the match by 23 runs.
Ramiz Raja, considered close to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, was appointed the PCB chairman in September last year. Raja has brought several changes to the Pakistani side since his appointment, some of which have found criticism. His arrival in 2021 also saw coach Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis, bowling coach, resign.