Mumbai/Kolkata/Hyderabad: Politics and the pulsating anger of Pahalgam and its aftermath put the fabled acrimony of an India-Pakistan cricket match in the shade on Sunday as the two sides took the field at the Asia Cup in Dubai.Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP traded bouncers in Maharashtra, with the former calling the match “an insult to the 26 victims in the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack” and the saffron camp accusing ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray of “hypocrisy” by calling for a boycott of the match while maintaining an alliance with “pro-Pakistan” Congress.In Bengal, Trinamool Congress targeted two stumps with one delivery — India-Pakistan cricket on the sidelines of conflict and alleged “nepotism” at the top of the game’s administrative hierarchy. “Blood & water can’t flow together to Pakistan. But clearly blood & cricket can. Especially when Amit Shah’s ‘merit-only’ son’s fortunes depend on it. May the best team win,” TMC MP Mahua Moitra wrote on X.In Hyderabad, home to some of India’s finest cricketers, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi marked a long run-up to target PM Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma and RSS over their alleged anti-minority actions, claiming they lacked the courage to choose “patriotism over profit” and have the India-Pakistan match cancelled.The slanging match in Maharashtra began with Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut slamming NCP chief and deputy CM Ajit Pawar over his remark that he would watch the match if he could wrap up work early. “Pakistani blood flows through his (Ajit Pawar’s) veins,” Raut said.“When a Maharashtra minister uses the language of an India-Pakistan match, it is not the language of a patriotic citizen. There was no one in your family among the 26 (victims). Else, you would not have spoken like this.”He also targeted Shiv Sena chief and deputy CM Eknath Shinde, alleging his party was “under home minister Shah’s control. “The Indian cricket team did not want to play the match. Our direct and indirect communication with some cricket players revealed there was a general opposition to this match.”BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ameet Satam shared a photo of Uddhav with Sena (UBT) secretary and Mumbai Cricket Association member Milind Narvekar, questioning if he had sought the latter’s views on the match. Ajit Pawar tried to downplay the row over his remarks. “India has a population of 140 crore. In such a vast country, there are bound to be differences of opinion over the match.”
