Ahead of India`s match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup cricket tournament, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said playing a cricket match with Pakistan is an insult to national sentiments as Indian soldiers are sacrificing their lives on the borders, and announced protests across Maharashtra.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Thackeray said boycotting the Asia Cup match between the two countries, scheduled for Sunday, is an opportunity to convey to the world our stance on terrorism.
“This cricket match is an insult to national sentiments. Should we be playing cricket with Pakistan while our soldiers sacrifice their lives on the borders?” Thackeray asked.
Slamming the BJP-led Central government, Thackeray dubbed the cricket match a joke on patriotism.
Referring to an old meeting between Bal Thackeray and Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad at Matoshree, the Thackeray family`s Mumbai residence, Uddhav said, “My father had told Javed Miandad that there will be no cricket till terror acts against India from Pakistan continue.”
Earlier on Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had said his party will hold `Sindoor Rakhsa` campaign on Sunday to protest against India playing Pakistan in Abu Dhabi that day as part of the Asia Cup cricket tournament.
Playing cricket with Pakistan amounts to “betrayal”, he said.
In a post on X, Raut said thousands of women from Maharashtra will take part in the protest and send `sindoor` (vermilion) from their households to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Referring to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 persons, he said Operation Sindoor that was launched by India was still on and, therefore, sporting ties with the neighbouring nation was unacceptable.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the Pahalgam attack, decimating terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir before the two nations agreed to end hostilities on May 10.
“Children of BJP ministers will surely go to watch this match. This is treason,” Raut claimed.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a request to urgently list a plea seeking an interim stay on the cricket match between India and Pakistan, which is scheduled to take place in Dubai on September 14.
While rejecting the request, a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi stated that the match should go on.
(With inputs from Agencies)
