Sena (UBT) stages protests against India-Pak Asia Cup cricket match

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) members on Sunday raised slogans and even destroyed a television set as part of their protests in different parts of Maharashtra against the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match scheduled in Dubai.

Traditional rivals India and Pakistan will face off in Dubai, in what will be the first match between the two sides since the military conflict in May, when India launched strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories after 26 persons, mostly tourists, were killed in a dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

The Indian government has allowed the national team to play against Pakistan at multi-national events like the World Cup and Asia Cup but has barred any bilateral engagement across sports.

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On Saturday, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the cricket match between India and Pakistan in Dubai is an insult to national sentiments. The former state chief minister had also appealed to people not to watch the match and said his party’s women workers will collect sindoor (vermilion) and send it to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Following his opposition to the match, the Sena (UBT) on Sunday organised ‘Majha Kunku Majha Desh’ campaign in Mumbai.

“We will send these items (sindoor and other items used by a married woman) through official means, through post, not only from Mumbai, but from across Maharashtra to the PM’s Office,” Sena (UBT) leader and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar told reporters.

“We will tell the prime minister that those who were responsible for the death of the husbands of our sisters (a reference to the Pahalgam attack) should be caught,” she said.

Pednekar, along with her party’s South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant, staged a protest near Currey Road, where they raised slogans and showed placards voicing their protest against the match.

In Kandivali area here, the party workers destroyed a television set on a road. The party activists also organised in other parts of the city.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, said the match can be boycotted even today, even now.

“The @BCCI can still show India that it belongs to India, and not to greed of money. The BCCI can still prove that it isn’t anti- national,” he said in a post on X.

Referring to the players, Aaditya Thackeray said those today on the field must realise that they are playing against a country from where terrorists came and massacred innocent people.

“Think of the families who lost their loved ones in Pahalgam. Nothing can come beyond boycotting a country that harbours terrorists. What a shame to know all of this and still going ahead with the game,” he said.

“Today, we miss a Union Government that would have strongly come down on such anti-national acts,” the MLA said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) secretary and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) member Milind Narvekar claimed the decision to hold the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup was taken by keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the dark.

“I think the decision to play these matches was taken by keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the dark,” said Narvekar, who is a member of the MCA’s apex council.

The MLC was responding to a question during protests organised by his party against the India-Pakistan match.

The Sena (UBT) workers also staged a protest against the match in neighbouring Pune city.

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