Farmers Movement Archive

Sachin insulted Bharat Ratna: Shivanand

Patna: Amid the global war of words over farmers’ protests on social media, RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwari on Friday sparked a row saying cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar “insulted the Bharat Ratna honour by doing advertisement for the Narendra Modi government”. Following tweets by US pop singer Rihanna and teen Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in support of farmers’ protests in Delhi, Tendulkar had tweeted on Wednesday, urging unity and saying India can handle its internal affairs and outsiders should not interfere. “India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let’s remain united as a nation,” tweeted Tendulkar, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award in 2014. Shivanand alleged that Tendulkar, along with several other civilian award-winning celebrities, is “being used” by ṯhe Narendra Modi government at the Centre. “Modi government is using Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar (Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan) and Ajay Devgan (Padma Shree) among others to counter the international celebrities supporting farmers' protests in Delhi. This is simple tactics to manipulate public opinion,” he said. Shivanand, however, said on Friday that he had “strongly protested” even when Bharat Ratna was announced for Tendulkar. “I had said that legendary Indian hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, who was also recommended by the sports ministry for Bharat Ratna, deserved the same more than Tendulkar. However, Tendulkar was chosen for the award, even though he did nothing great than earn a whole lot of money by playing cricket,” Shivanand told TOI. Pressing his point further, Shivanand said, “He can be a good cricketer but he has become an advertisement model. He comes on television now and then for advertising‑- commercial as well as the government.” Though Shivanand claimed that Tendulkar’s tweet, as well as his comments, both come under ‘freedom of expression’, but the RJD leader is facing flak from NDA constituents and even Congress tried to distance itself on this issue. “Shivanand Tiwari is nowadays representing the lot of frustrated groups of opposition leaders who are in a frenzy to grab news headlines. His statement on Tendulkar is absurd and uncalled-for. Shivanandji should apologise to the people of this country,” BJP’s spokesperson Nikhil Anand said. JD (U)’s spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad demanded from Shivanand to take back his comments against Tendulkar. “If RJD has any regard for national integrity, pride and unity, then it should immediately take strong action against Shivanand,” he said, adding that Shivanand made the statement on the instructions of leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Bihar Congress, on the other hand, tried to distance itself from Shivanand’s comment on Tendulkar. “It can be his personal opinion but we respect Tendulkar as a cricketer,” Congress’s MLC and spokesperson Prem Chand Mishra said, adding that Tendulkar should also support the farmers' protest. Incidentally, Tendulkar was conferred the Bharat Ratna during Congress-led UPA government at the Centre in 2014.

The Times of India

2021-02-06

Patna