Oppn Slams Centre’s Double Standards On India-Pak Cricket

The India vs Pakistan clash in any sport is always a high-octane and pressure clash as there are emotions wired up with fans of both nations.

As India is set to take on Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 clash on Sunday, the match has attracted anger among opposition parties, who have termed it the “treason” and “shamelessness” of the Union Government.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday slammed the Centre over the issue, calling for a protest with the name ‘Sindoor Raksha Abhiyaan’ against the IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 match.

Raut asked if the “blood” and “water” cannot flow together, then how can “blood” and “cricket” work together?

“We will protest against this India-Pakistan cricket match. Women will come on the streets and our campaign is ‘Sindoor Raksha Abhiyan’. You said that water and blood will not flow together. If water and blood will not flow together, then how will blood and cricket work together? This is treason, shamelessness,” Sanjay Raut told reporters.

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi questioned the “double standard” policy of the Central Government over relations with Pakistan and stressed a “fishy” feeling about the India vs Pakistan clash.

“So many people were killed. Government said that they will teach Pakistan a lession and 140 crore people were standing in support of the government at that time but now I am not able to understand this double-standard policy. How can there be a match with Pakistan? I support the protest against the India-Pakistan cricket match…Something fishy is going on,” Azmi told ANI.

Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) MP Supriya Sule also expressed shock over the Union Government’s stance on the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match, asking if “blood and water” cannot flow together, then how “bat and ball” can come together.

“I’m shocked by the stand taken by the government on the India-Pakistan match. On one hand, they say ‘Blood and water cannot flow together’, then how come this match is happening? If blood and water cannot flow together, then how can bat and ball come together?” Supriya Sule told reporters.

Sule addressed the issue of Sanjay Raut’s protests on the India vs Pakistan match and said she is not aware of the matter.

“I am not aware if Sanjay Raut and Shiv Sena UBT are going to hold a protest. I’ll speak to the alliance members,” Sule added.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a request to urgently list a plea seeking an interim stay on the cricket match between India and Pakistan, which is scheduled to take place in Dubai on September 14.

While rejecting the request, a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi stated that the match should go on.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner sought that the plea be heard urgently on Friday as the said match is set to take place on Sunday this week. However, the Court declined the request.

The plea had been filed by one Urvashi Jain, who has challenged the scheduled match by contending that playing with Pakistan would send an opposite message and that the dignity and security of citizens come before entertainment.

“Cricket between nations is meant to show harmony and friendship. But after the Pahalgam Terror Attack and Operation Sindoor, when our people died and our soldiers risked everything, playing with Pakistan sent the opposite message that while our soldiers sacrifice their lives, we are celebrating sports with the same families of the victims who lost their lives at the hands of the Pakistani terrorist”, the plea stated.

It further asserted that the cricket match between India and Pakistan is detrimental to the national interest, to the morale of the armed forces and of the nation as a whole.

Additionally, the plea stated that the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports does not recognise any official cricket federation, while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) operates like “a nation within a nation”, insensitive to the national problems, calamities, sorrows and so on.

The petitioner further contended that organising a cricket match with Pakistan amid ongoing tensions is sending out an unhealthy message to the armed forces and the public in general.

“Operation Sindoor is still ongoing against the terror base camps in Pakistan. When we still have infiltrations in a non-stop manner in the valley of Kashmir, our armed forces have been carrying out day & night search operations fighting the infiltrators from Pakistan, our soldiers are sacrificing their lives and citizens too falling prey to the bullets of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists”, the plea argued.

The India national cricket team is taking on Pakistan 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)