As India still reels from the shock of the terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir in April, a victim’s wife on Saturday called for a boycott of the India-Pakistan cricket match in the Asia Cup scheduled for Sunday.
Aishanya Dwivedi, the wife of Shubham Dwivedi who was killed in the attack, urged people not to watch the match even on television.
"I cannot understand this. I urge people to boycott this. Do not go to watch this and do not switch on your TV for this,” Aishanya told ANI news agency.
#WATCH | Kanpur, UP: On upcoming India vs Pakistan match in Asia Cup 2025, Aishanya Dwivedi - wife of Pahalgam terror attack victim Shubham Dwivedi, says, "BCCI should not have accepted a match between India and Pakistan...I think BCCI is not sentimental towards those 26… pic.twitter.com/1tAu9wjqSo
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2025
Her remarks came amid mounting criticism from the opposition parties, which claimed that the BCCI’s decision to agree to play Pakistan was an insult to the kin of those killed in the Pahalgam attack.
Slamming the cricket board, Aishanya said the BCCI is not sentimental towards the families of those killed and also lamented that, except for a couple of cricketers, no player came forward to call for a boycott of the game.
"What are our cricketers doing? It is said that cricketers are nationalists. It is viewed as our national game. Except for 1-2 cricket players, nobody stepped forward to say that we should boycott the match against Pakistan. BCCI cannot make them play at gunpoint. They should take a stand for their country. But they are not doing it," she said.
Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed as Pakistan-based terrorists sprayed bullets at them after examining their religious identity in the scenic valley near Pahalgam on April 22.
The attack sparked a strong retaliation from India, which carried out air strikes in nine terrorist hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. India’s response also triggered a two-day-long military confrontation between the two countries until a ceasefire was reached on May 10.
"I would like to ask the sponsors and broadcasters if their nationality for those 26 families is finished? What will the revenue from the match be used for? Pakistan will use this just for terrorism. That is a terrorist nation. You will provide them revenue and prepare them to attack us once again,” Aishanya asked.
Several political leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, have also slammed the BJP and the BCCI over the cricket match.
"This cricket match is an insult to national sentiments. Should we be playing cricket with Pakistan while our soldiers sacrifice their lives on the borders?" Thackeray asked on Friday.
The Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) have also condemned the BCCI decision.
