Sparks flew in Mumbai as Sanjay Raut, the vocal Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentarian, eviscerated the BJP over India-Pakistan cricket fervor. In a riveting Sunday briefing, he portrayed the event as a veiled transfer of betting wealth to Pakistan, undermining India’s fight against terrorism.
‘Operation Sindoor paused, but not this cash cow,’ Raut sneered, pegging prior match betting at Rs 25,000 crore dispatched to foes behind Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam strikes. He accused networks in BJP strongholds like Gujarat and Rajasthan of orchestrating the flow, with official complicity.
Targeting Jay Shah, Raut highlighted nepotism: ‘Amit Shah’s heir, hence the hush. Any other, and BJP’s outrage would erupt.’ He decried the mismatch—yielding to Trump’s sway on military fronts while partnering Pakistan for profit-driven games.
Raut reframed the narrative: no India-Pakistan glory, but a ‘Jay Shah showdown’ Indians shun. ‘Your Hindutva is match money?’ he challenged, exposing how terror funding evades scrutiny amid the spectacle.
Raut’s salvo, blending outrage and data, compels reflection as cricket hype surges, probing the nexus of sport, gambling, and geopolitics in modern India.