“If the Match Is Shown, Their TV Will Be Broken”: Thackeray Group Warns Hotels Over India-Pakistan Clash After Pahalgam Attack

Mumbai: The much-anticipated India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match, set for September 14 at the Dubai International Stadium, has ignited widespread outrage across the country. In Mumbai, the Thackeray group has issued a stern warning to hotels and restaurants against screening the match, turning a sporting event into a charged political and emotional flashpoint.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sharad Koli voiced the group’s anger, calling on hoteliers in Maharashtra to stand with the nation’s grief following the Pahalgam terror attack. “Terrorists in Pakistan killed Indians by shooting them in the head. Still, a match is being played with Pakistan,” Koli said. Issuing a strong warning, he added, “No hotel owner or operator should show this match on TV. If we love India, no one should show the match. If the match is shown, their TV will be broken, and the responsibility will be theirs.”

The outrage stems from the recent Pahalgam tragedy, where 26 tourists were brutally killed. Among them was Shubham Dwivedi from Kanpur, who had travelled with his wife Aishanya. Struggling through grief, Aishanya appealed to the public not to glorify the match. “No one should go to the stadium to watch this match or even watch it on TV. I don’t understand why people are still watching this game,” she said.

Her criticism extended to cricket’s top governing body. Lashing out at the BCCI, Aishanya remarked, “BCCI should not have approved this match. Don’t they feel the pain of the 26 families of the Pahalgam attack and the martyrs of Operation Sindoor? BCCI has no sensitivity towards these families.”

In Mumbai, where cricket screenings at hotels and bars usually draw massive crowds, the Thackeray group’s warning has created tension and uncertainty.