Which Political Parties are in Protests Against India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Match?

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India are set to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, but ahead of that, there is an internal and widespread grievance regarding the match in India.

A number of political parties have staged protests against the India government's decision to allow the match, especially after the two nations' recent military escalations.

The protests against the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match have involved several political parties and public figures deeply criticizing the government's decision to hold the match amid heightened tensions following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent military retaliation known as Operation Sindoor.

India vs Pakistan: Political Parties Protesting and Their Actions

Shiv Sena (UBT): Led by Uddhav Thackeray, this party has strongly condemned the match. Thackeray criticized the central government for compromising national interest for commercial gains and declared protests across Maharashtra. Women workers of the party are collecting sindoor from households to send to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a symbolic protest called "Sindoor Raksha Abhiyaan".

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders have slammed the government and called for boycotting the match. AAP has warned clubs in Delhi against screening the game and urged citizens to boycott and protest against the match, citing the recent terror attack.

Maharashtra Congress: They have called the match an insult to the kin of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and martyrs, demanding respect for the sacrifices made.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharad Pawar-led): Criticized the government's dual standards for allowing the match to proceed despite tensions.

Even some IPL teams like Punjab Kings have silently protested by not mentioning Pakistan in their match announcements on social media.

The protests center on the insensitivity of holding a cricket match against Pakistan so soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. The match is seen as disrespectful to the sacrifices made by the victims and soldiers, especially in light of Operation Sindoor, the Indian military's retaliatory strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Protesters argue that playing this match sends resources and revenue to Pakistan, which they accuse of sponsoring terrorism, thereby indirectly funding violence against India.