Opposition Led by Shinde Criticizes Uddhav Thackeray for Demonstration Against Indo-Pak Cricket Contest
The Shiva-led Shiv Sena has criticised Uddhav Thackeray and his faction for opposing India's participation in the Asia Cup 2025 cricket match against Pakistan. Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde accused the Uddhav camp of politicising national security, while Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske questioned Uddhav Thackeray's credibility on matters of national security.
The criticism comes after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) staged a protest in Mumbai, linking the match to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. Women workers from the Thackeray faction staged a symbolic protest in Mumbai, using sindoor (vermilion) to condemn India's participation in the high-profile match.
Navnath Ban, the state BJP media chief, accused the Sena (UBT) of lacking courage in their stance against India's cricket match with Pakistan. Ban suggested that if the Sena (UBT) is truly against the match, they should ask their MLC, Milind Narvekar, to resign from the cricket committee. Narvekar, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, is a member of Mumbai Cricket Association's 'Apex Council'.
The Sena (UBT) has questioned the contradiction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's past statement - "blood and water cannot flow together" - and the government's decision to allow sporting ties with Pakistan amid heightened tensions. The Maharashtra BJP, in response, accused the Sena (UBT) of hypocrisy.
In a separate incident, a Dalit woman was gang-raped in Odisha's Puri. Three families in Dombivli reportedly lost their breadwinners in the Pahalgam incident, but these events are not related to the content of this article.
Shinde claimed that those protesting against India's participation in the Asia Cup 2025 cricket match are opportunists. Mr. Mhaske, on the other hand, accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) of raising the issue now merely to gain political mileage ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
The sparring between the two factions of the Shiv Sena over the cricket match issue adds another layer of complexity to the political landscape in Maharashtra. The Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to take place in September 2025, and the Indian cricket team's participation in the match remains a topic of intense debate and controversy.
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