Mumbai, Nov 16 (IANS) Sachin Tendulkar should “keep off the political pitch” for his own well-being, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said Monday in response to the cricket maestro’s comments last week that “Mumbai belongs to all”.
In a signed, open letter to the cricketer published in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna, Thackeray has given “a friendly advice” to Tendulkar and asked him to stay away from politics for “his own well-being”.

Thackeray has taken serious umbrage to the cricket legend’s statement last week that “he was an Indian first and Marathi too, but Mumbai belongs to all”.

“You are free to hit fours and sixers on the cricket field, but keep off the political pitch,” Thackeray said.

Hitting out at Tendulkar - who grew up in Thackeray’s neighbourhood in Bandra East and learnt his first cricket lessons there - the Sena chief said the cricketer had become a billionaire and made a name for himself in the world because of his great skills.

“Nobody grudges you all this, in fact it makes them feel proud. But when you speak politics like this you tear the hearts of Maharashtrians,” he held.

Chiding Tendulkar, Thackeray asked him what made him utter the “single cheeky” (a quickie single run) of politics while expressing his pride at being a Maharashtrian before the media last week.

“With that one statement, you became ‘run out’ in the pitch of Marathi minds,” he pointed out.

Delivering a crash course in history to the cricketer, Thackeray pointed out that when Mumbai was won for Maharashtra “with a lot of struggle and the supreme sacrifice of 105 people, Tendulkar was not even born”.

According to Thackeray, cricketers may talk lofty things about the country, but ultimately play only for themselves.

“Do cricketers (like you) ever bother about the problems confronting the country, the inflation, slums proliferation in Mumbai, the influx of people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bangladeshi Muslims?” Thackeray demanded.

The Sena supremo signed off with “a friendly advice, in your own interest” to keep off politics.