As the much-anticipated India–Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 fixture approached on Sunday evening, sharp political reactions poured in from across the spectrum, with opposition parties and regional outfits lashing out at the Centre for allowing the match to proceed in the shadow of the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Priyanka Chaturvedi’s sharp swipe at BCCI
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi came out strongly against the cricketing tie, remarking that the game was being forced upon citizens despite widespread calls for a boycott.
“Tonight at 8 pm, the India vs Pakistan match is scheduled to take place. I would rather call it BCCI vs Pakistan. People across the country have demanded a boycott of the match with Pakistan, including the families who lost their loved ones in the Pahalgam terror attack. If the people of the country do not want this match and it is still happening, then the team playing against Pakistan will not be Team India—it will be Team BCCI,” she posted on X.
This cricket match is not India vs Pakistan but Team BCCI vs Pakistan, because Team India would never play with Terroristan and over the sentiments of the people of the country.
Jai Hind. pic.twitter.com/Yqws64DNjg— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) September 14, 2025
Assam Congress president questions Modi government
Congress president Gaurav Gogoi also criticised the decision, alleging the Modi government had failed to take a firm stand with international cricket authorities.
“Somewhere in the process of becoming ‘Vishwaguru,’ PM Modi was unable to take the necessary step for the ICC via the BCCI. A member of the home minister’s family is involved in the ICC, and the BCCI secretary is very close to Assam CM Hemant Biswa Sarma. They often talk about Pakistan, but today we see a clear difference between their actions and words. I will not watch the match, and I believe most Indian citizens will also choose not to watch this match,” Gogoi told news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi: ON PM Modi’s Manipur visit, Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi says, “PM Modi’s visit to Manipur is very unfortunate. He just goes there to improve his image rather than solve people’s problems. The way he only focuses on his image, he rubs salt on the wounds… pic.twitter.com/PgbjI79qXc
— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2025
Tejashwi Yadav dubs Pakistan ‘BJP’s partner’
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, too, weighed in, accusing the BJP of doublespeak on Pakistan. Responding to media queries, the leader of opposition in Bihar remarked:
“This is a question that should be posed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had famously bragged about vermilion (sindoor) flowing in his veins. Pakistan is a partner of the BJP, which likes to start a military conflict and put off a water treaty, only to announce a ceasefire later. Now, it has agreed to a cricket match, all as per its own convenience.”
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | On being asked about the India vs Pakistan match today in the Asia Cup 2025, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, “… The Prime Minister used to say that sindoor runs in his veins; it is he who should answer this question. The people who had sindoor running in… pic.twitter.com/psIp3o5xQv
— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2025
He recalled that after the Pahalgam terror strike in April, which killed over 20 people, the BJP-led Centre had suspended the Indus Water Treaty, only to change course soon after.
Sena (UBT) stages ‘Majha Kunku Majha Desh’ protests
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) organised protests across Maharashtra, including in Thane, under its ‘Majha Kunku Majha Desh’ campaign. Party leaders accused the Modi government of betraying public sentiment by permitting the clash against Pakistan just months after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people at the hands of Pakistan-backed terrorists.
The Sena (UBT) said in a statement that India’s May 7 retaliation—Operation Sindoor, which struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir—was overshadowed by the Centre’s swift turnaround to allow cricketing ties. “Without considering the feelings of the countrymen, the Modi government gave permission for the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup,” the party release read.
Leaders including Rajan Vichare and Kedar Dighe joined the demonstration in Thane. As part of the protest, the party also announced it would send vermilion (sindoor) to the Prime Minister’s Office as a symbolic gesture.
(This is a breaking news story and is being updated. Please refresh for the latest updates.) Go to Source
