With Shiv Sena leader and Mumbai's ageing Tiger Bal Thackeray having retired to the pavillion after getting hurt from bouncers hurled at him over his attack on master batsman Sachin Tendulkar for saying he is an Indian first and Mumbai belongs to all Indians, the party's Rajya Sabha member and editor of its mouthpiece "Samna" Sanjay Raut has opened the attack from another end by pitting Sachin against veteran cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, also from Maharashtra.
Reacting to Sachin's comment that though he is proud to be a Maharashtrian, he is an Indian first and Mumbai belongs to all Indians, Bal Thackeray had told him to stick to cricket and not score cheeky singles in the political pitch.
The comment drew widespread criticism from all Indians who love Sachin, forcing the Sena patriarch into a shell.
Now the controversy is being sought to be revived. Writing in Samna, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Sanjay Raut has said Sachin, a legendary batsman though he may be, has done nothing to promote Maharashtrian cricketers, unlike Gavaskar.
Raut said:" Gavaskar, when he led India,had half the team drawn from Mumbai and Maharashtra. He gave test caps to many Marathi players, including Suru Naik and Zulphikar Parkar at lest for one match".
On the other hand, there has been no instance of Sachin helping other Marathi cricketers.
"Forget others, he did not even support his friend and childhood cricket mate Vinod Kambli".
He also said Rahul Dravid, though a Maharashtrian, was proud of his Karnataka connections, much like Bengal Tiger Saurav Ganguli.
Raut said Sachin is no doubt a great cricket player, but he is no greater than Maharashtra.
Recalling history, he said Maharastra got Mumbai after a bloody agitation against the Morarji Desai Government in which 105 people laid down their lives, and "not by hitting boundaries and sixers".
He said Maharashtra did not spare even its architect Y B Chavan when he once said Jawaharlal Nehru was greater than Maharashtra.
In a body-line bowling, Raut said "Sachin had made his millions, not by playing for India, but by playing for the Board of Control for Cricket in India".
Having made his point, Sachin has refused to prolong the debate. Being a true cricketer, he avoids avoid outgoing balls.
- Aaian Tribune -
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