Never take away a World Cup final from Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray takes swipe at BCCI
Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday said the grand welcome accorded to the T20 World Cup winning Indian cricket team in Mumbai was also a message to the BCCI to never take away the final match of a major tournament from the country's financial capital.
Thackeray's remarks appear to be criticism of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for hosting the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad instead of Mumbai. India had lost the 50-over World Cup final to Australia in November last year.
"Yesterday's celebration in Mumbai is also a strong message to the BCCI... Never take away a World Cup final from Mumbai," the former Maharashtra minister said in a post on X.
Thackeray's comments came a day after thousands of cricket fans thronged the Marine Drive in South Mumbai to witness the victory parade of the T20 World Cup winning Indian team, which returned home from the West Indies on Thursday morning. India lifted the T20 World Cup after defeating South Africa at Bridgetown (Barbados) late last month.
The open bus parade started from the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Nariman Point after 7.30 pm and went till the Wankhede Stadium. Although it usually takes five minutes to cover the distance between these two points, it took more than one-and-a-half-hour for the parade to do so due to the large gathering of fans.
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People should not be judged by caste, wealth or language: Mohan Bhagwat
Raipur (PTI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said people should not be judged by caste, wealth or language, adding that the country belongs to everyone.
“The first step towards harmony is removing feelings of separation and discrimination from one’s mind and treating everyone as one’s own,” Bhagwat said, addressing the Hindu Sammelan at Sonpairi village in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district.
“The entire country belongs to everyone and this spirit is true social harmony,” Bhagwat said.
Bhagwat stressed the need to revive family interactions, saying families should spend at least one day a week together, engage in prayers according to their faith, eat home-cooked food together and hold meaningful discussions, Bhagwat said, calling the discussions ‘mangal samvad’.
“People often fall into bad habits when they feel lonely. Regular interaction and dialogue within families can help prevent this,” the RSS chief said.
Bhagwat called for social harmony, environmental responsibility and disciplined civic life, urging people to rise above divisions and work collectively for society and the nation.
The RSS chief said the first step towards social harmony is removing feelings of separation and discrimination.
He said temples, water bodies and cremation grounds should be open to all Hindus, describing social work as an effort of unity, not conflict.
“Do not judge people by caste, wealth, language or region. Treat everyone as your own. The entire India is mine,” he said, describing this approach as samajik samrasta (social harmony).
Public facilities and religious spaces should be open to all, he said, calling it a work of unity rather than conflict.
On the issue of addiction, Bhagwat said loneliness often pushes people towards addiction.
He underlined the concept of ‘kutumb prabodhan’, stating that individuals must reflect on how much time and resources they devote daily to society and the nation.
“If the country is in danger, families are also in danger,” he said, calling for values to be practised at home and in daily life.
Expressing concern over global warming and environmental degradation, Bhagwat urged people to begin conservation efforts from their homes by saving water, adopting rainwater harvesting, reducing single-use plastic and planting more trees.
He also advocated the use of one’s mother tongue at home, respect for Indian attire and promotion of swadeshi and self-reliance by buying locally made products, except where imports such as medicines are unavoidable.
Bhagwat called for strict adherence to the Constitution, laws and civic discipline.
He said the Constitution’s preamble, fundamental duties and citizens’ responsibilities should be read and followed regularly, along with traditional social values like respecting elders and helping the needy.
The work of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, that began from a small 'shakha' in Nagpur, has now spread everywhere, Bhagwat said.
