Priyanka Chaturvedi, a leader of the UBT (Shiv Sena), has appealed to the Centre to stop the live coverage of match between India and Pakistan that will take place in the Asia Cup 2025. She also said that granting permission to telecast will be ignoring national spirit and at the same time acting against India by its strongly held policy that it is not against terrorism.
Asia Cup controversy after Pahalgam attack
Chaturvedi has also voiced her firm objection against India cricketing Pakistan in multi-nation events in a letter to Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. She also attached a murder to the demand citing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, on which Operation Sindoor was launched by Indian armed forces as an attempt to hold Pakistan accountable.
“A parliamentary delegation was sent globally carrying the message of zero tolerance to terrorism of which I was a part too, and this decision of GOI to go ahead with cricket matches against (Pakistan) is totally unacceptable to me and my conscience,” she wrote.
Following the Pahalgam episode, the Centre sent cross-party delegations overseas to reiterate India policy of zero tolerance to terrorism. On this backdrop, the Shiv Sena MP termed the clearance given to India to send its players to participate in the Asia Cup in the UAE as a huge disappointment.
Criticism of BCCI and Sports Ministry on Asia Cup
Chaturivedi held the BCCI as well as the Sports Ministry responsible of not heeding the sentiments of the people. She wrote that their flight of India in the event and more so in the high-voltage match against Pakistan symbolized their insensitivity on the sacrifices that are made by the armed forces.
“Hiding behind the garb of sportsman spirit to allow the match to happen lacks moral courage to stand against the terror nation,” she remarked.
The Rajya Sabha MP asked the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology (MeitY) to prohibit live streaming of the India- Pakistan Asia Cup match on all digital platforms, applications, and websites. As information and broadcasting minister, Vaishnaw asked him to prevent the television broadcasters to show the match live.
Historical precedents of sports boycotts
Chaturvedi noted that in the history, countries have made a stand by putting value on principle over sports. She gave examples of how South Africa was isolated during Apartheid, the boycotts in the Olympics and more recently, the refusal of the Pakistan hockey team to play in India despite getting clearance.
She made the point that Pakistan itself had boycotted the Asia Cup in 1990-91 because of poor relations with India. In her view, the present ruling by the Sports Ministry and BCCI is hypocritical because of the precedents that were ignored.
India vs Pakistan clash at Asia Cup 2025
The Shiv Sena MP also warned against commercial motives driving the tournament. “However, the stubbornness to go ahead with promoting this match by BCCI to make money will in truth be not just blood money, but cursed money, as it carried the curse of the coffins of Pahalgam terror attack victims and our men in uniform,” she wrote.
India and Pakistan play against each other on September 14 in Dubai in the Asia Cup 2025, which runs in the UAE between September 9 and 30. The competition will be in T20I format.
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