Mumbai, September 14: The upcoming India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash in Dubai has ignited anger across India, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) issuing stern warnings against public screenings in Mumbai hotels and restaurants.
Party leader Sharad Koli urged hoteliers to show solidarity with victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 tourists were killed. “Terrorists in Pakistan killed Indians by shooting them in the head. Still, a match is being played with Pakistan. No hotel should show this match. If anyone does, their TVs will be broken, and the responsibility will be theirs,” Koli warned.
Among the grieving voices is Aishanya Dwivedi, who lost her husband Shubham in the attack. Appealing to the public, she said, “No one should go to the stadium or watch this match on TV. I don’t understand why people are still watching this game.”
She also criticised the BCCI for allowing the fixture. “Don’t they feel the pain of the 26 families of the Pahalgam attack and the martyrs of Operation Sindoor? BCCI has no sensitivity towards these families,” she said.
In Mumbai, where cricket screenings in hotels and bars often draw huge crowds, the Thackeray group’s threat has created tension. What is usually a festival of sport has now turned into a heated debate over national sentiment, politics, and respect for the victims of terror.
