Bal Thackeray fumes at Sachin Tendulkar; BJP and other parties support him

Bal Thackeray, the supreme of Shiv Sena, is very angry with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for having remarked that “Mumbai belongs to all Indians” and “not to anyone in particular.”

Bal Thackeray's editorial against Sachin Tendulkar angers many

Sachin Tendulkar had a told a news conference the other day, in connection with his completing 20 years in international cricket, that that “Mumbai belongs to all Indians.”  He added that, while he is a Maharashtrian and is “extremely proud of that,” “I am an Indian first.”

In an editorial in Saamna, the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, Bal Thackeray advised Tendulkar to focus on his international cricket and said that he has “hurt the feelings of Marathi Manoos.”

Thackeray went on to say: “Sachin may not know what Marathi Manoos went through to get Mumbai. You were not even born then.”

In a tone of warning, the Shiv Sena supremo wrote in the editorial: “Sachin, please keep it in mind that we praise you for your fours and sixes on the field, but if you use your tongue as a bat to hit boundaries against Marathi Manoos, we will never tolerate it. Please don’t lose on the ground of politics whatever you have earned on the cricket pitch.”

Sanjay Raut, Spokesman of the Shiv Sena, has come out with a clarification that Bal Thackeray has “not criticised” Sachin Tendulkar.

According to Raut, Balasaheb only “commented in his capacity as an elder” and his remarks in the editorial in the Saamna were “an elderly advice to Sachin.”

Meanwhile, Sachin Tendulkar is receiving support from various quarters and Bal Thackeray is being slammed for his outbursts again the cricketer.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has strongly defended Sachin, saying that the ‘Master Blaster’ had “spoken from his heart” and that “his statement will unite the country.”

The statement by Sachin, Ashok Chavan told reporters, was made in true sportsman spirit. Sachin may be a Maharashtrian, but he plays for the country.

Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, while criticising Bal Thackeray for his editorial, praised Sachin by saying that the “cricket icon” had raised further the “image and prestige of the country” by having said that Mumbai is for all Indians.

Shiv Sena’s ally in the NDA – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – too came out in support of Sachin Tendulkar saying that Sachin said only what a patriotic Indian would say.

What is interesting is that both Nitish Kumar‘s Janata Dal (United) and BJP are allies of Shiv Sena in the NDA. Sena’s regional chauvinism has oftne embarrassed its allies like the Sena – the common factor between both remain Hindu majoritarianism, and Marathi chauvinism is often awkward for the BJP.

Several Maharashtrians however believe that what appears in the Saamna editorials are often not Thackeray’s thoughts but someone else’s. Conspiracy theories about someone out to destory the Sena are often mentioned. Post Assembly elections for the Maharashtra State Assembly, Bal Thackeray’s editorial in the Saamna lambasted Maharashtrians for backstabbing the Sena, something which the Shiv Sena has been at pains to deny afterwards.

Raj Thackeray: Silent on Sachin

This is likely a case of over-reaction on Bal Thackeray’s part. Sachin Tendulkar’s statement was in response to a question from a reporter on a day when he has been giving press conferences and meeting the media since morning, and it is natural that he would not have thought about the political implications of a statement which could be interpreted as a snub to the Sena. Bal Thackeray too was not exactly wise about letting the statement go, instead of reacting to it angrily in Saamna – a reaction borne out of the fear that the Sena has to be the first to talk about Marathi Manoos issues. If it did not, there was always the chance that Raj Thackeray’s MNS would be quick to capitalise on that. As it went, Raj Thackeray stayed mum on the issue, and his party explained that this was an issue between the Shiv Sena and Sachin, and their party preferred not to talk about what the senior Thackeray says.

Lalu Prasad, the chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), said Bal Thackeray had no “moral authority” to comment on a national hero.

“Sachin Tendulkar is a national hero, and who is Bal Thackeray to comment on him?” Lalu Prasad told reporters.

Besides political leaders, several top sportsmen and sports officials have come out in support of Sachin Tendulkar.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was the first to react to Bal Thackeray’s criticism of Sachin’s statement.

Rajiv Shukla, spokesman of the BCCI and chairman of the BCCI’s finance committee, said Bal Thackeray was “talking like Mohammad Ali Jinnah.”

Sachin Tendulkar, Shukla stressed, is a nationalist. “Sachin is for Maharashtra, and he is for India, and if someone calls himself an Indian, is it a crime?” Shukla asked.

Olympian Milkha Singh, the sprint legend, remarked that Sachin did not say anything wrong and that he is “very happy” with what Sachin has said.

Ajit Wadekar, former Indian cricket captain, reacted to Bal Thackeray’s criticism of Sachin by saying that Sachin is playing for his country and “that has exactly what has motivated him to get the record.”

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