Aaditya Thackeray criticises government and BCCI over Bangladesh cricket tour
The Sena had previously raised concerns about alleged attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh during public unrest against President Sheikh Hasina
Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) party, has sharply criticised the BJP-led central government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headed by Jay Shah, as the Bangladesh cricket team continues its tour of India.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) had previously raised concerns about alleged attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh during a period of public unrest against President Sheikh Hasina.
In a post on X.com, Thackeray questioned the decision to allow the tour, stating, "The Bangladesh cricket team is on a tour of India and the BCCI is rolling out the red carpet for them. I want to know from the Ministry of External Affairs whether the news circulating on social media and some media outlets about atrocities committed on Hindus is true. And if these reports are accurate, then who is pressuring the central government to allow their tour?"
He further pressed, "If Hindus are being subjected to brutality in Bangladesh, then why is the BJP-led government allowing the Bangladesh cricket team to tour India?"
Thackeray also posed an alternative scenario, asking whether the news of atrocities against Hindus might be fabricated, suggesting it could be "BJP's ploy to spread hatred among communities to win polls".
The BJP has been critical of the Shiv Sena (UBT) following their alliance with Congress and NCP (SP), alleging that the party won seats in Lok Sabha polls only due to Muslim votes.
Thackeray's grandfather and Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray, was known for his strong opposition to cricket matches with Pakistan, citing his pro-Hindu stance. His opposition led to the cancellation of several cricket tours with Pakistan. In 1991, following Thackeray's threat to disrupt an India-Pakistan match, Shiv Sena functionary Shishir Shinde dug up the pitch at Wankhede stadium to prevent the game from taking place.
More recently, in October 2015, Shiv Sena workers stormed the BCCI office to protest then-BCCI chief Shashank Manohar's meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan to discuss bilateral series between India and Pakistan.
As of now, the BJP has not responded to Aaditya Thackeray's remarks.