A day after India defeated Pakistan in an Asia Cup match played in Dubai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Monday created a sensation by alleging that gambling worth a whopping Rs 1.5 lakh crore took place during the match — of which Rs 25,000 crore went to the neighbouring country.
Talking to media persons here, Raut said: “The (India-Pakistan) match was fixed. Gambling to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh crore took place during the match Rs 25,000 crore went to Pakistan. Amit Shah’s son gave money to Pakistan. It’s their strategy to fund Pakistan to strengthen terrorism (network) so that they attack us and they (BJP) get political benefit”.
Raut, whose party had vehemently opposed India playing against Pakistani in the Asia Cup match, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Jay Shah is the ICC Chairman, for forcing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to let Indian team play against the neighbouring country. “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was not very keen to play with Pakistan.
The Indian team was forced to play the match,” Raut said. “In the first place, the match should not have taken place — whether it is in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or in Trump’s maidan. It was at the instance of the Government that the match was played.
The very fact that this match was held is a matter of shame,” Raut said.
That Indian team was not keen to play against Pakistan but it was forced to do so could be evidenced after a seven-wicket victory for India, its players refused the customary handshake with their counterparts from Pakistan. Raut’s comments should be seen from the fact that the Shiv Sena was consistently opposing the India-Pak match in Dubai.
So much so that the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s women wing workers staged “Har Ghar se Sindoor” protests in different parts of Mumbai and the state against India playing the Asia Cup match against Pak.
Simultaneously, Sena leader Anand Dubey shot off a letter to Sony Pictures Private Limited seeking a halt on the live telecast match played in Dubai.
In a related development, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar of the BJP revealed that the Indian Government had endorsed Indo-Pak match, when he said that the people had understood the decision to allow India to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on the ground that “it was an international tournament and not a tour of the two countries”. Talking to media persons in Nagpur, Shelar said: “I think that the people of India completely understood the Central Government’s decision. This was not an India-Pakistan tour.
The Indian Government won’t propose such a bilateral tournament, nor accept a proposal for the same. Sunday’s match was a part of an international tournament, and the people of India did not object to the country’s participation.