During the second test match between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, one of the spectators suddenly fell ill. As soon as he fell ill, the police sent him to the medical team for treatment. The man dressed in tiger introduced himself as Bangladesh’s famous cricket fan Tiger Robi.
New Delhi: ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ is the basic principle of Indian culture. That is, India and Indians give the status of God to the guests who come to their homes and worship them like God. In such a situation, the allegation of a foreign cricket fan that he was beaten up by Indian spectators during an international match raises questions.
As per PTI, Robi arrived in India on a medical visa and is reportedly in India for treatment of tuberculosis. He had also attended the first Test in Chennai.
“Robi has reportedly been suffering from Tuberculosis, a serious illness that mainly affects the lungs, and has come to India for his treatment,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Harish Chander, as quoted by PTI.
“He was uttering vulgar abuses to Indian cricketers, especially Mohammad Siraj, in Chennai but no one knew the language (Bengali). People did nothing, but here in Kanpur, people know the language,” a Bangladeshi journalist was quoted by IANS on condition of anonymity.
The Bangladeshi spectator who accused the spectator of assault was calling himself Super Fan Tiger Robi. He is present in the stadium during most of Bangladesh’s matches and is often seen on camera waving the Bangladesh flag. He was wearing a tiger costume and was sitting in Stand C at the time of the incident.
The incident is related to the second and last match of the two-match Test series between India and Bangladesh. On the first day of the second Test being played at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, pictures and videos of a Bangladeshi supporter emerged in which he is seen crying and sobbing. This incident was earlier considered a case of scuffle because this fan had indicated that he was pushed. But now the story seems to be something else.
Many Bangladeshi journalists on social media have claimed that Robi is acting because he has done such things in the past to create a sensation and gain media attention. Robi had made similar allegations during a match in Chennai. According to a statement issued by the police, ‘There were some reports of attack, but these are baseless, no such incident happened with him.’
Robi said in a short video clip, “I fell ill and the police brought me to the hospital. Now I am feeling much better. My name is Robi and I have come from Bangladesh.” Earlier, a UPCA official said that Robi could not tell the exact sequence of events but he was in pain. The official said, “He was moaning in pain when he came out of the stand. He started fainting. He was given a chair to sit but he fell down.”
Robi had earlier claimed in a post released on social media on Thursday that, ‘There may be a conspiracy to hurt Bangladesh supporters during the Kanpur Test. We are also prepared for the possibility that we may be prevented from entering the stadium. In that case, we will sit outside and support the team from there. I know I may have to face trouble, but I am ready for it.’
