Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane has mocked Uddhav Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray over his comments on India-Pakistan cricket match in Asia Cup 2025, and said that Thackeray will secretly watch the cricket game. Further intensifying his attack, Rane made fun of Aadtiya Thackeray’s voice and said the same will also help the MLA as people won’t recognise him. 

“‘I am a woman’, who will doubt the person is Aaditya Thackeray,” Rane said, and then deliberately tried to copy Aaditya Thackeray’s voice and said “Pakistan jindabad” in a jibe at the leader. 

The remarks came on a long social media post by the UBT leader, who questioned the government and the BCCI for conducting the India-Pakistan match, despite the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, which happened just a few months away. Many leaders of the opposition parties have questioned the decision and called for a complete boycott of the match. 

India and Pakistan will face each other on Sunday (September 14) in one the most awaited clashes of the tournament.

What did Aaditya Thackeray say?

Aaditya Thackeray took to X and said it has not been even six months since the Pahalgam attack and the BCCI is desperate to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

“It’s not even 6 months to the cowardly attack in Pahalgam. Nobody knows how the terrorists came in. Then Operation Sindoor happened. Then the Prime Minister said that blood and water cannot flow together. The Defence Minister said, after a sudden Ceasefire, that Op Sindoor is Paused… not ended,” he said.

He said that Pakistan boycotted the Asia Cup Hockey, which was being held in India. “This too was a multilateral tournament,” he added. 

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“But the BCCI is desperate to play Pakistan. Is the BCCI so strong that it can defy the PM and defence minister? Does the @BCCI not have any shame? Any feelings for those who were killed in that massacre? Or for our Armed Forces? ” the UBT leader asked. 

He slammed the saffron party and said it was sad to see that the “BJP has changed its ideology, but also true that the same BJP will use the valour of our armed forces in Bihar Elections.” “They will mention Operation Sindoor politically, but not call off the match!” he added.

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Calls to boycott India-Pak match

Opposition parties have attacked the BJP and NDA for allowing India-Pakistan match in Asia cup, and said it was a dishonour to people who died in the dreadful Pahalgam attack.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday held a protest against the match. 

Earlier in the day, Uddhav Thackeray said the Sena (UBT) will stage protests against the match. He said the party’s women workers will collect sindoor (vermilion) and send it to the Prime Minister’s Office. 

Reacting to the Sena (UBT)’s protest slogan “My Kunku, My Country,” Eknath Shinde-led Sena and MP Naresh Mhaske said those doubting the bravery of soldiers and questioning ‘Operation Sindoor’ had no right to speak of ‘sindoor’ or ‘samman.’ 

“Those who insulted ‘sindoor’ (vermilion applied to the hair’s parting by Hindu women to signify their married status) by praising Pakistan are now remembering it only for elections. People who patronised ISI agents during campaigns should keep silent,” the Shiv Sena leader said.