Mumbai, April 30: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has taken strong exception to Sachin Tendulkar's nomination to the Rajya Sabha by the Congress-led UPA.
"What is Tendulkar going to do in the Rajya Sabha? He has no scope there,'' Thackeray said. He was talking informally to mediapersons at his Bandra residence on Sunday on the sidelines of a function to honour him for his contribution to the contemporary media as cartoonist. 'Cartoon Watch', a Raipur-based magazine, felicitated Thackeray.
Questioning the role of matinee idols and cricketing stars in the Rajya Sabha, Thackeray said, "It's time to take a close, hard look at the contribution of film stars to the Upper House. What did Hema Malini do in the Rajya Sabha all these years?'' he asked caustically, "Nominating Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha is the Congress party's Dirty Picture.''
The Thackeray Senior's tirade against Tendulkar is in sharp contrast with his estranged nephew, MNS chief Raj Thackeray's wholehearted support for his best friend's new assignment.
Addressing a press conference last week, Raj Thackeray had said there was no political context to Tendulkar's RS nomination. "It's a gesture of honour for his sterling contribution to Indian and world sports,'' he said.
"Tendulkar is not going to campaign for the Congress party because the UPA government has offered him a seat in the RS. Lata Mangeshkar was nominated to the Upper House by the BJP-led NDA a few years ago. But neither did she join the BJP nor helped the BJP garner votes,'' said Raj, adding, "It would be cheap to politicize the issue.''
Shorn of rhetoric, the Master Blaster finds himself caught in a cross-fire between the Sena and the MNS, say political observers.
Meanwhile, Bal Thackeray slammed Anna Hazare for his conspicuous silence on the "malpractices'' of his close colleagues such as Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kiran Bedi. Thackeray said Bedi, Kejriwal and Sisodia all have skeletons in their cupboards. "However, Hazare doesn't utter a word on their misdeeds. He keeps mum on his colleagues.''
"Hazare talks of weeding out corruption from public life. Who will reform his corrupt colleagues?'' the Sena chief asked.
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