Mumbai: The political row over the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash intensified after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Raut’s remarks came days after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.

Ajit Pawar had earlier urged citizens to treat the cricket match as a sporting event, stressing the constitutional right to express opinions and advising against politicizing the issue.

“Some opposition parties make an issue out of everything, but this should not turn into an emotional matter,” Pawar had said.

Reacting strongly, Sanjay Raut accused Pawar of being insensitive, saying, “Ajit Pawar’s veins carry the blood of Pakistanis. He is half-Pakistani.” Raut added that Pawar would not have made such comments if any of the Pahalgam attack victims had been from his family.

Raut also criticized Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, calling his faction “a small company of Amit Shah” and accusing them of being disconnected from public sentiment. He further alleged that the BCCI, under the influence of BJP and its secretary Jay Shah, is pressuring players to take part in the India-Pakistan clash despite their reluctance.

Following the Pahalgam attack, Shiv Sena (UBT) has launched statewide protests under the banner “Maje Kunku, Maza Desh” (My Vermilion, My Country) to oppose the India-Pakistan match.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar reiterated that opposition leaders should focus on pressing issues like heavy rainfall, crop damage, and traffic congestion instead of what he termed “non-issues” such as the cricket match. He also dismissed allegations of vote manipulation as baseless.