Sena, MNS oppose Pak cricket team’s tour

The Shiv Sena and MNS have opposed the Pakistan cricket team’s proposed tour of India in December. The two parties, which compete for the same political space in state, have opposed cultural or sports links with Pakistan due to its role in terror attacks in the country.

In October 1991, MNS MLA Shishir Shinde, who was then with the Sena, had dug up the pitch at Wankhede stadium to protest against an India-Pak match which was scheduled to be held there.

“The Sena is against the tour of the Pakistan cricket team,” said Sena group leader in the state assembly Subhash Desai. “India should not play against Pakistan. We have no need for any exchange in culture or sports as they look upon us as enemies and are responsible for terror attacks in India. The Sena feels there is no need for any such ties,” added Desai, an MLA from Goregaon.

“Raj saheb has declared that we will not allow any India-Pak match in Maharashtra,” said Shinde, who was a Sena vibhag pramukh when he dug up the Wankhede pitch with six people after breaching the security cordon comprising 150 policemen at the stadium.

Raj Thackeray had earlier voiced his opposition to a singing reality show featuring artistes from Pakistan, but later withdrew his agitation.

In 2010, the MNS had objected to Veena Malik and Begum Nawazish Ali’s participation in Bigg Boss and that of a Pakistani comedian in Comedy Circus. It had forced a shop to remove books by Pakistani authors and objected to a sweet shop named Karachi.