Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 13 : Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane on Saturday mocked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, and said he would attend the upcoming India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match "silently, wearing a burqa."
The upcoming India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match is scheduled for September 14 in Dubai.
Speaking to the reporters, Nitesh Rane said, "Aaditya Thackeray will go silently to attend the match (upcoming India vs Pakistan match in Asia Cup 2025), wearing a burqa. His voice will also help him in this. After wearing a burqa, if he speaks in a woman's voice, people will believe him... No one would recognise that he is Aaditya Thackeray..."
Rane also questioned Uddhav Thackeray's right to comment on the match, accusing his party of staying silent when pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised at a rally by one of its MPs.
"Does Saamana or Uddhav Thackeray have the moral right to comment on the India-Pakistan match? During a rally of one of Uddhav Thackeray's MPs, slogans of 'Pakistan Zindabad' were raised, green flags were waved, green gulal was thrown, and slogans like 'sar tan se juda' were chanted. So, why didn't they express anger towards Pakistan then?" Rane said.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray questioned India's participation in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 match against Pakistan, alleging that the government was mixing politics and business with patriotism.
Addressing reporters, Thackeray said, "... Our Prime Minister said blood and water cannot flow together, then how can blood and cricket flow together. How can war and cricket be at the same time?... They have done business in patriotism. The business of patriotism is only for money. They are going to play the match tomorrow also because they want all the money they will get from that match..."
He further announced that Shiv Sena (UBT) women workers would stage a symbolic protest. "Tomorrow, Shiv Sena (UBT) women workers will come out on the streets in Maharashtra and they are going to send sindoor from every house to PM Modi," he said.
The Indian national cricket team is taking on Pakistan for the first time in an international cricket match after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Ahead of the clash, there had been a widespread demand from the opposition to boycott the match. However, the Centre had issued no objection from the Indian team to playing against Pakistan in any multi-nation tournament.