MumbaiSeptember 15, 2025 10:37 AM IST
First published on: Sep 14, 2025 at 08:02 PM IST
As India took on Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dubai on Sunday, the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, threatened to intensify its protests, warning hotels, restaurants, and clubs in Mumbai against screening the match.
With this, the Sena postured itself quite aggressively on the issue while its allies Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) remained quiet. The party also launched a campaign as part of which it urged women to send “sindoor” to PM Narendra Modi. The Indian military response to Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April was named Operation Sindoor.
“Our PM said blood and water cannot flow together, which was understandable,” Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday. “How come blood and cricket flow? How can they allow war and cricket at the same time? This amounts to the commercialisation of patriotism. They have allowed cricket for money. This is disgusting.”
On Sunday, Sena (UBT) senior leader and Rajya Sabha Sanjay Raut said, “All those hotels and clubs screening the match should be exposed.” Taking his cue from the senior leaders, a local Sena functionary in Mumbai, Sharad Koli, warned of smashing TV screens in restaurants and clubs screening the match.
It is not new for the Sena to take an aggressive position when it comes to cricket matches with Pakistan, in an attempt at displaying its power and nationalist credentials. In October 1991, Shiv Sena activists led by Shishir Shinde dug up the pitch at Wankhede Stadium and poured engine oil on it in protest against a One-Day International match that India was set to play against Pakistan. Following this act of vandalism, the series was called off.
In January 1999, Sena activists struck again, this time at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium (now Arun Jaitley Stadium) in Delhi before an India-Pakistan test match and dug up the pitch. They were demanding that India pressure the government in the neighbouring country to hand over gangster Dawood Ibrahim, who is believed to have received shelter in Pakistan after escaping the country following the 1993 Mumbai blasts. However, this time the match got postponed and was not called off. The test was held in Chennai. The second match was organised in Delhi a week later on a freshly prepared pitch and became famous for the test in which Anil Kumble became the second cricketer to take 10 wickets in an innings.
In October 2015, the Sena struck again as it stormed and vandalised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai just before a planned meeting between BCCI president Shashank Manohar and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairperson Shaharyar Khan. The meeting was being held to discuss a potential bilateral series between the two countries but got scuppered after the Sena workers entered the Wankhede Stadium, shouted anti-Pakistan slogans, and demanded the cancellation of the talks.
Taking a dig at the Sena (UBT), the BJP asked if it was so opposed to sporting ties with Pakistan, why the Thackerays had invited Pakistan cricket legend Javed Miandad to Matoshree, their home in Mumbai, in July 2004. State BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban also wondered if Shiv Sena (UBT) would seek the resignation of its own leader Milind Narwekar for being a member of the Mumbai Cricket Association and not speaking up on the match going ahead.
The BJP has also pointed out that the match was being played in a multi-lateral international tournament and the BCCI could not risk being sanctioned if it pulled out of the Asia Cup.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always held the country’s interest above everything. He has dealt with terrorism and security problems with an iron hand. The world has seen it. Under Modi’s leadership, India has emerged stronger. Why drag sports being played in an international forum into politics?” said Revenue Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
