New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s remarks that India’s cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar should “keep off the political pitch” has evoked strong reactions with virtually all political parties and sportsmen condemning Thackeray strongly.
Thackeray was reacting to the cricket legend’s statement last week that “he was an Indian first and Marathi too, but Mumbai belongs to all”. Here are the reactions to what the Shiv Sena supremo wrote Monday in party mouthpiece Saamna:

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi: “He (Thackeray) should be the last person to preach to a gentleman cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar.”

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor’s Tweet: “On Sachin and Sena, my late dad Chandran Tharoor said in ‘66: ‘with Maharashtra for Maharashtrians and Kashmir for Kashmiris, where is India for Indians’?”

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar: “Shiv Sena is on the wrong foot in criticising Sachin Tendulkar.” (Nitish Kumar is from Janata Dal-Secular, part of the National Democratic Alliance of which the Shiv Sena is also a constituent.)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley: “If any Maharashtrian says he is proud of being a Maharashtrian as well as an Indian, then I find this statement absolutely correct.” (BJP leads the National Democratic Alliance.)

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut: “Bal Thackeray has not said anything wrong. We also believe that the nation comes first. That is why we say ‘Jai Hind Jai Maharashtra’.”

Former Test cricketer Ajit Wadekar: “Sachin plays for india and that motivates him.”

Olympian Milkha Singh: “Whatever Sachin has said is completely right. India comes first and state comes later. Sport and politics should not be mixed.”