Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has strongly criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over its decision to field a team against Pakistan, calling it a betrayal of the nation’s sacrifices and principles.
In a post on X , Thackeray accused the BCCI of prioritising revenue over national interest. “Blood and water cannot flow together, but for BCCI, blood and revenue can flow together,” he wrote.
The Shiv Sena leader posted that he has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging the Union Government to step in and prevent what he described as the BCCI’s shameful act. Thackeray highlighted that while India has consistently tried to isolate Pakistan on the global stage, sending delegations of MPs to various countries, the cricket board’s decision undermines those very efforts.
Pointing to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks that document how terrorists entered India from Pakistan, Thackeray said, “Perhaps the BCCI officials should be sent these books first.”
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement from the Red Fort that “blood and water cannot flow together” after the Pulwama terror attack, Thackeray alleged that the BCCI’s actions have overshadowed the sacrifice of India’s armed forces. “If the BCCI believes it is superior to what the Prime Minister himself declared, then it is truly an embarrassing matter,” he added.
The Shiv Sena MLA further dismissed the argument that India is bound by the rules of the Asia Cup, calling it nothing short of a joke, especially given the BCCI’s significant influence within the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“Despite all the efforts made by the government to convince the world that Pakistan was behind Pulwama, the BCCI won’t give up on the chance to earn money by playing Pakistan,” Thackeray said.
