Defiant Shiv Sena says will continue to protest against Pakistan in nation's interest

Mumbai: After unruly protest in the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party ally Shiv Sena remains defiant and said that they will continue with their protest against Pakistan in nation's interest. The BCCI and Pakistan Cricket Board were scheduled to hold talks over the possible India-Pakistan cricket series.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, "We do not regret what Sena has done. We will continue to protest against Pakistan. This was not just a protest. We sloganeered against Pakistan and the series. We wanted to stop the talks between BCCI-PCB. Our protest against Pakistan will continue. It is the people's will."

This is third such protest against Pakistan in one month and is a major embarrassment for the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sainiks on Monday stormed the BCCI office raising flags and sloganeering against BCCI chief Shashank Manohar and PCB chairman Shahryar Khan leading to the cancellation of the talks between the two boards for the day.

Meanwhile, security has been increased at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai after the protest. The agitating workers have been detained and taken to a nearby police station.

Sources said that there's no information yet on whether the talks have been rescheduled and the meeting may take place on a later date at a different location.

Last week, Shiv Sena workers attacked ORF's Sudheendra Kulkarni for organising former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book launch in Mumbai. Sena workers smeared black paint on Kulkarni's face outside his residence even though Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured the organisers of full security cover.

Despite threats from Sena to disrupt the event, organisers went ahead with the schedule to launch Kasuri's book 'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider's Account of Pakistan's Foreign Policy' in Worli.

Earlier in October, another Pakistani artist came under attack from Sena. Pakistan ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert was cancelled in Mumbai and Pune after Sena threatened to disrupt it.

Ghulam Ali will now perform in Delhi in December.