A host of political leaders, cutting across party lines, on Nov 16 came down heavily on Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for criticizing Sachin Tendulkar, saying the cricket maestro’s “Mumbai for all” remark was just right and nobody could take objection to it.
The Indian cricket board also reacted angrily to the Sena supremo’s comments in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ with its spokesman Rajiv Shulka demanding that Thackeray should be brought to book for his verbal attack on the 36-year-old.
Tendulkar 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.”
Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Bihar, Ashok Chavan and Nitish Kumar, Union Ministers Salman Khurshid and RJD leader Lalu Prasad, said they congratulated Tendulkar, a Maharashtrian and a pride of India, and that he had stated what was “just right” as Mumbai belongs to all Indians.
While Chavan said that Tendulkar’s comment would help unite the entire country, the Bihar Chief Minister maintained that the revered cricketer had in fact earned more respect through his remark.
Prasad, a cricket enthusiast and former Union Minister, said, “It is Thackeray’s habit to make such remarks....Sachin is a very good man and what he has stated is right”.
Khurshid, Union Minority Affairs Minister and a Congressman, taking a jibe at the Shiv Sena leader, said the cricketer has clean bowled Thackeray.
