Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut alleged Rs 1.5 lakh crore gambling took place during India-Pakistan Asia Cup match. He criticized the handshake refusal and called for public reporting of match screenings in restaurants and clubs.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday claimed that around Rs 1.5 lakh crore was gambled on the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match played on Sunday. He said that Rs 25,000 crore of this amount went to Pakistan. Raut told reporters that the Pakistan Cricket Board received Rs 1,000 crore from this match. He warned that this money could be used against India in the future. He asked why the government and the BCCI did not stop or act against this large-scale gambling.
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Criticism of handshake refusal
India won the match by seven wickets, but the game ended on a bitter note. The Indian players refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team after the match. Sanjay Raut said this was not a sudden decision. He called the handshake refusal a ‘farce’ and said it was planned in advance. According to him, an important member of the Indian team’s support staff and the BCCI agreed to this action.
On September 11, Sanjay Raut condemned the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match, calling it ‘shameless’ and ‘treason’. He highlighted ongoing anger over the Pahalgam attack, criticized BJP, VHP, RSS, and Bajrang Dal, and launched the ‘Sindoor Raksha Abhiyan’ protest campaign involving women on the streets.
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The India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match
The match took place on Sunday despite many calls to boycott it. These calls came amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. The tensions increased after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 and India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ against terrorist camps across the border on May 7. Raut’s party was strongly against holding the match. On Sunday, September 14, he used social media to protest by posting a collage picture showing the victim couple of the Pahalgam attack (a woman and her husband killed in attack) alongside Indian and Pakistani cricketers playing the match.
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In the caption, Raut urged patriotic citizens to share details about restaurants and clubs showing the India-Pakistan match on social media. He wrote:
“The information about the restaurants and clubs where the India-Pakistan cricket match will be shown should be shared publicly by patriotic citizens on social media!
Jai Hind!
Jai Maharashtra!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!”
Government and BCCI reaction
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP leaders have not directly commented on the gambling claim. However, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi reportedly said the court has the right to examine any law passed by Parliament. He added that the government’s reforms in the Waqf system were meant to prevent misuse.
Meanwhile, the BCCI did not release any official statement about the gambling allegation or the handshake controversy.