Ageing Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray alienated himself from millions of Indians when he attacked the country's icon Sachin and Maharashtra's most loved son,
Sachin Tendulkar, for saying that "Mumbai belonged to all Indians". In an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, Thackeray, warned Sachin to "keep off the political pitch" for his own well being. Or else, he would have "run out" from Marathi minds.
India's political establishment joined the cricket board to slam Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray after he criticised cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar..
From the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), otherwise a Shiv Sena ally, to the perenially critical Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the entire political class said that Thackeray's hard-hitting attack on Tendulkar was uncalled for.
In a signed, open letter to the cricketer published in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna Thackeray said his 'friendly advice' to
Tendulkar was that he should 'concentrate on international pitch' and stay away from politics for his 'own well being'.
Thackeray, whose party suffered a rout in last month's assembly elections in Maharashtra, took umbrage at the cricket maestro's statement last week that he was 'a proud Maharashtrian but an Indian first' and 'Mumbai belongs to all'.
That comment followed widespread criticism of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena for the assault on Samajwadi Party MP Abu Azmi for taking oath in the Maharashtra assembly in Hindi. A furious Thackeray said that players like Tendulkar 'ultimately play only for themselves'.
In no time, voices across India, a country which is celebrating 20 years of Tendulkar's glorious career that has made him a cricket legend, hit out at the 83-year-old Shiv Sena founder leader.
Posted by Prakash Jadhav | Views 385 | Share Blog
