New Delhi: The aggressive Indian outfit Shiv Sena has opposed Pakistan cricket team’s tour to India next month, terming it a matter of “national shame.”
The cricket ties would be resumed between the two rival nation from December 25 and will feature two T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The matches will be playedin Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru.
According to media reports, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray castigated the Manmohan Singh government as “an enemy of national pride.”
The Sena chief came down heavily on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), accusing it of “betraying the country for [the] sake of money” and making Indian cricketers a part of that process of betrayal.
“Except for Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, no cricketer has opposed playing cricket with Pakistan,” said Mr. Thackeray.
Alluding to Pakistan’s role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike and the 2001 Parliament attack, Mr. Thackeray said allowing Pakistan cricketers to play on Indian soil was tantamount to insulting the martyred jawans.
“By allowing them to play, we are not valuing the blood spilled by them [Indian jawans] in our battles against Pakistani aggression.”
He also censured Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, as he had “offered his services to Pakistan,” by giving the green signal to the tour.
In October 1991, the Sena had dug up the pitch at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium to protest against an India-Pakistan match scheduled to be held there.
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