Shiv Sena (UBT) workers stage protest in Mumbai against India-Pak match in Asia Cup

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 14 (ANI): Women workers of Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday staged a protest in Mumbai with 'sindoor', opposing India's participation in the match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, scheduled for today.
Shiv Sena UBT had announced to hold a demonstration against the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 cricket match scheduled to be held in Dubai.
On Saturday, party chief Uddhav Thackeray had said that Shiv Sena (UBT) women workers will come out on the streets in Maharashtra and send sindoor from every house to PM Modi.
Thackeray opposed India's participation in the match against Pakistan, alleging that the government was mixing politics and business with patriotism.
Uddhav Thackeray said, "Our Prime Minister said blood and water cannot flow together, then how can blood and cricket flow together. How can war and cricket be at the same time?. They have done business in patriotism. The business of patriotism is only for money. They are going to play the match tomorrow also because they want all the money they will get from that match."
Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the upcoming India-Pakistan match.
Owaisi questioned the decision to play cricket matches with the rival country and sought clarity from the government on the monetary gains compared to the loss of human lives.
"My question to the Chief Minister of Assam, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and all of them is that you don't have the power to refuse to play a cricket match against Pakistan, which asked for the religion of our 26 citizens in Pahalgam and shot them," Owaisi said.
The AIMIM chief questioned the BJP whether the money earned through the match is more valuable than the lives of 26 citizens who were killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
The Indian national cricket team will take on Pakistan today for the first time in an international cricket match after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Ahead of the clash, there had been a widespread demand from the opposition to boycott the match. However, the Centre had issued no objection from the Indian team to playing against Pakistan in any multi-nation tournament. (ANI)