Sports

Remove Pakistani players from Kabaddi teams, Shiv Sena tells Star Sports

Party leader says it won't allow Kabaddi matches to be played in Maharashtra till Pakistani players are excluded

Sports Desk July 17, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

India’s right-wing party Shiv Sena has threatened the country’s sports channel, Star Sports, to remove Pakistani Kabaddi players from the pro-Kabaddi league before upcoming matches.

Ashish Chemburkar, Shiv Sena leader, warned the channel that his party will not allow Kabaddi matches to be held in Maharashtra state if Pakistani players are allowed to participate in the tournament.

Read: Shiv Sena advocates denial of voting rights for Muslims

"Yes we have told Star Sports clearly that we won't allow the tournament to go ahead unless Pakistani players are excluded from the tournament. While our jawans are being killed by Pakistanis how can we allow them to play," questioned Chemburkar.

The Shiv Sena leader said the management of Star Sports had informed his party that since Pakistani players were not in a contract with any Mumbai franchise, therefore, there should not be any objection to them not being included in the tournament.

“We have clearly told them that we don't care which team has picked the Pakistani players, we will not allow them to play,” clarified Chemburkar.

The Pro-Kabaddi league is being aired Star Sports starting from July 18.

Further, the Sena’s leader said that they have warned Star Sports of a 'Sena style protest' but said that they would wait till July 18 to see what action the channel takes.

Read: 'Bin Roye' screenings in Maharashtra scuppered after MNS threat

Earlier this week, following threats by Indian nationalist party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), distributor B4U Films decided to not screen Pakistani movie Bin Roye in the state of Maharashtra.

This article originally appeared on The Economic Times

COMMENTS (13)

ravi | 9 years ago | Reply @Adil Uddin: For Shiv Sena, opposing pakistani players is a low hanging fruit to further its agenda and keep its flock in place. It helps them consolidate its vote bank and no one opposes this posturing. Its all political and has nothing to do with pakistan or its citizens.

ask | 9 years ago | Reply And on another note, Shiv Sena & MNS will create enough trouble in Mumbai for all those not under their "paid protection". They will ensure all major multi-national corporate entities, business houses and bourses are moved to Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, Gandhinagar, aka GIFT city.. Wonder how much were SS/MNS 'gifted' for doing that!

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Adil Uddin | 9 years ago | Reply Quite recently a number of Pakistani athletes were selected by American and European premier leagues of soccer / football . Did any right wing party or organization protested over it due to issues relating to religious extremism? Pakistani cricketers were playing in Caribbean Premier League too without any trouble . And then many Indians say that Pakistani athletes will suffer isolation globally . But in India sports channels and associations are weak and helpless in front of Shiv Sena

Saif | 9 years ago | Reply @Vijaykumar: Agree ...from an Indian !

Union Jack | 9 years ago | Reply @Vinodh: Which Shiv Sainik shakha you work for dude ? The very sentence you spoke reflects that you hold an extremists thinking yourself. How does an entire country becomes a terrorist country when only few of them resort to violence ? You should be careful on accusing the whole mass for the mistakes of few. This is where you increase more enemies by voiding them of all sympathy and apathy they may have for your cause.

Union Jack | 9 years ago | Reply @Vijaykumar: Amen brother. Unfortunately they hold the nerve of Mumbai since they can cause immense damage to metro whenever agitated. This is why most governments tends to ignore them and let them be as they are. By meaning of a terrorist is an entity (individual or group) who uses violent force as way to intimidate and threaten anybody who opposes their way. They resort to rather fatal use of violence to convey their message and are oblivious about the idea of "tolerance". By that definition, Shiv Sena is a terrorist organization, and should be treated as one.

Union Jack | 9 years ago | Reply @shehryar bukhari: Nobody listens to Shiv Sena in India. And when nobody listens to them, they resort to violence. India should treat them as terrorists in line of maoists. In democracy there is no dictatorship allowed. It is high time Shiv Sena is taught a lesson and put behind bars for every damage it causes to public space. @RV: You called out for me sir, and I am here. Thanks for invitation. @ks: Too bad , nobody cares what you think. In India such extremists only get exposure and fame in media not in real life, unlike Pakistan

Alann | 9 years ago | Reply @shehryar bukhari: "Even the banned religious organizations in Pakistan don’t demand such things. And ironically tribune terms shiv Sena as a right wing party instead of extremist party." The difference between such people in India and those in Pakistan is that, the 'extremists' in India only cause financial damage by destroying property. Whereas the ones in Pakistan murder hundreds using AK47s and suicide bombings. Everyday we see schools getting bombed, children getting murdered, women/men everyone getting killed everywhere in broad daylight all over Pakistan every week, all year round. How many bomb blasts or suicide bombings take place in India in a whole year? 0 (except for rare incidences of Maoists blowing up railway tracks in distant areas.) Would you prefer living in a country with "extremists" like Shiv Sena, or are you happy living amongst JuD and Taliban?

Vinodh | 9 years ago | Reply @Vijaykumar Speak for yourself. We don't need to play with the terrorists or allow the team from the terrorist country to play in India.

ks | 9 years ago | Reply Hence proved, India is a state of extremists.

Vijaykumar | 9 years ago | Reply Remove shivsena from India - Indian Citizens

shehryar bukhari | 9 years ago | Reply Even the banned religious organizations in Pakistan don't demand such things. And ironically tribune terms shiv Sena as a right wing party instead of extremist party.

RV | 9 years ago | Reply No indian trolls to comment?

Replying to X