In a bold Sunday presser, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut rocked the cricket world by targeting the BJP and ICC chief Jay Shah over the India-Pakistan showdown. Calling it an insult to fallen soldiers, Raut exposed what he describes as a massive betting syndicate where every wager ultimately benefits Pakistan’s terror machinery.
‘These games are pure gambling dens,’ Raut thundered, estimating Rs 25,000 crore from the previous match vanished into Pakistani coffers. He alleged this cash cycle directly arms militants responsible for horrors in Pulwama, Uri, and beyond, with Indian bettors unwittingly financing the foe.
Zeroing in on Jay Shah, Raut mocked the silence around his role: ‘Amit Shah’s son, so no one dares speak. Swap him out, and BJP mobs would riot.’ He contrasted the government’s reluctance for military action—citing a Trump-influenced halt on operations—with its enthusiasm for matches that rake in crores.
Raut painted a vivid picture of betting hubs thriving in Gujarat and Rajasthan, implicating BJP affiliates as key players. ‘The public rejects this farce; it’s not national pride, it’s profiteering,’ he asserted. The MP urged a rethink on whether cricket cash trumps combating terrorism, framing the match as Jay Shah’s personal bout rather than India’s.
As the cricket fever builds, Raut’s revelations challenge the narrative of sport uniting nations, forcing a reckoning on the hidden costs of Indo-Pak rivalries on the field.