Bal Thackeray out hit wicket

NEW DELHI: Bal Thackeray’s sharp criticism of cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar for saying that he was an “Indian first” and that “Mumbai belonged to all Indians” brought the political class together on Monday in opposing the Shiv Sena supremo. From Congress and BJP, the Sena’s ally in Maharashtra, to Bihar-centred parties such as RJD and JD(U) and the Left parties, all came out to defend or praise Tendulkar. All parties except BJP also chose to hit out at Mr Thackeray for his comments. The episode has taken on ironic tones as the political controversy has erupted in the midst of celebrations over the sporting genius having completed 20 years in international cricket.

Mr Thackeray’s comments, made in the party mouthpiece Sammana, sought to take Tendulkar to task for having taken a “cheeky single by making such remarks”. He was reacting to Tendulkar who had said: “I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian first. And Mumbai belongs to all Indians.” The Sena chief said Sachin had got “run-out on the pitch of Marathi psyche” and reminded him that he was not even born when the ‘Marathi manoos’ got Mumbai and 105 people sacrificed their lives for it. Mr Thackeray also alleged that Mr Tendulkar “left the crease and moved to the pitch of politics” with these remarks which had “hurt Marathis”. Senior Sena leader Subash Desai while defending Mr Thackeray’s words qualified the statement describing it as an advice given by an elder.

Congress strongly condemned Mr Thackeray saying the “real place” of his statement was “in the dustbin”. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari hit out at parties which raise “narrow identity-based issues” and said statements as those of Mr Thackeray’s insulted the “very idea of India”. He said such politics “belonged to a past which people of India had overwhelmingly rejected”. BCCI’s Rajiv Shukla, also a Congress leader, said Mr Thackeray’s remarks are in the “same language that Mohammed Ali Jinnah spoke” in. He said the whole of India and all Maharashtrians, excluding a few Sena and MNS leaders, were with Tendulkar.

BJP came out in Tendulkar’s support saying no one could object to his stand. “Sachin is fully correct. I don’t think anybody can have objection to it... India is proud of him and he is proud of being an Indian,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.