Mumbai, November 22: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar’s nationalistic ‘Mumbai for all’ comment was targeted yet again by the Shiv Sena as party leader Sanjay Raut claimed that the cricket icon may be great, but can never be greater than Maharashtra.
Rajya Sabha MP Raut wrote in Shiv Sena mouth-piece ‘Saamna’ that Tendulkar is not a true Maharashtrian as he never did much to promote cricketers in the state.
Raut said that though the cricket legend has reached many milestones in the game, but his achievements are not bigger than the state.
The Shiv Sainik also said the party has done a lot for the state and Mumbai did not come into being due to the boundaries hit by the cricketer.
Raut’s statements came days after Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray slammed the master blaster for his ‘unnecessary’ comments on him being an Indian first, and a Marathi later.
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Thackeray criticised Sachin Tendulkar for his “Mumbai for all” remark, saying there was no need for the cricket icon to take a “cheeky single” and hurting the Marathi psyche by moving to the pitch of politics.
“There was no need for him to take a cheeky single by making such remarks,” Sena mouthpiece ‘Sammana’ quoted Thackeray as saying.
“By making these remarks, you have got run-out on the pitch of Marathi psyche. You were not even born when the ‘Marathi Manoos’ got Mumbai and 105 Marathi people sacrificed their lives to get Mumbai,” he said.
In a rebuff to the “Marathi Manoos” plank of Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s MNS, Tendulkar had said on Friday that Mumbai is for all Indians.
“Mumbai belongs to India. That is how I look at it. And I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that but I am an Indian first,” said Tendulkar.
–Agencies