Amid a heated row over the India-Pakistan clash, opposition parties slammed the Centre and BCCI, calling the match insensitive after the Pahalgam terror attack
Mumbai
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane on Saturday mocked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray for opposing the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match, scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. In a sharp jibe, Rane claimed Aaditya would secretly watch the match wearing a burqa to hide his identity.
Speaking to the media, Rane said, “If he wears a burqa and talks in that voice, who would know it is Aaditya Thackeray?” He further mocked him in an imitating tone, suggesting he would chant “Pakistan zindabad.”
The comments come amid a heated row over the India-Pakistan clash, with several opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and AIMIM, criticizing the Centre and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Critics argue the match is disrespectful given the recent Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor.
Earlier, Aaditya Thackeray had asked, “Can blood and cricket flow together?” His father, Uddhav Thackeray, also called the match an “insult to national sentiments” and a dishonor to soldiers killed on the borders. He announced “sindoor protests” across Maharashtra to oppose the game.
Uddhav questioned the Centre’s stance, saying, “You called Pakistan a terror state, and now you play cricket with them. Is Pakistan our enemy or not? Soldiers are martyred, and cricket continues. This is not right.”
The controversy has reignited old Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s stance, who had long opposed cricket with Pakistan, insisting terrorism and sports cannot go hand in hand.
As the Asia Cup fixture nears, political tempers continue to rise, reflecting how cricket often becomes a battleground for larger national sentiments.