A Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar who has enjoyed the status of a demigod for more than two decades in the subcontinent would have otherwise been unquestioned but for its timing. In election time, politics is the flavour of public mood and nothing escapes a debate, not even a demigod.
While nobody other than Janata Dal (United)'s Shivanand Tiwari who has controversy as his middle name questioned Tendulkar getting the award, there has been a flurry of suggestions and regrets.
On Monday, Tiwari said, "Sachin is a good player but he was paid a lot of money to do that. He didn't play for free. Someone like Dhyanchand who won several medals for India at a time when we were not a free nation, this award was not given to him."
Those who have known Tiwari are not least surprised. He has had a history of thinking aloud and embarrassing his own party leaders on many occasions.
Among the names suggested for the country's highest award are hockey wizard Dhyanchand, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister NT Rama Rao. Among the regrets is India first deputy PM Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The demand for a Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee is backed by Congress ally and National Conference chief Farooq Adbullah and also the JD(U), which ended its 17-year-old association the BJP after a bitter war of words.
Now this is a subtle message from former allies that the saffron party's choice of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its PM nominee in 2014 might not be the best and certainly not without its minuses.
This coming on a day when the spiritual head of the famed Ajmer dargah said that the BJP has made a mistake in choosing Modi as its leader is a feeler hard to miss.
In an interview to a national daily, Dewan Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan praised former PM Vajpayee and added that the saffron party made a mistake in choosing Modi as its PM nominee. "A communal person cannot become the Prime Minister. A person who sets caste against caste and a community against another is not a good leader," Abedin said.
Now what started as a debate on Bharat Ratna for Tendulkar has ended up bringing to fore a strong undercurrent in the political circle of the country: Is Modi the best choice for PM?
While nobody wanted to make a mention of this in times of a high-decibel poll campaign and it was perhaps set aside by political friends and foes alike for post-poll debates and bargains, it suddenly raised its head in the power corridors. There is no doubt it will be put to rest quickly at least until the polls are over.
Sach is politics!
While nobody other than Janata Dal (United)'s Shivanand Tiwari who has controversy as his middle name questioned Tendulkar getting the award, there has been a flurry of suggestions and regrets.
On Monday, Tiwari said, "Sachin is a good player but he was paid a lot of money to do that. He didn't play for free. Someone like Dhyanchand who won several medals for India at a time when we were not a free nation, this award was not given to him."
Those who have known Tiwari are not least surprised. He has had a history of thinking aloud and embarrassing his own party leaders on many occasions.
Among the names suggested for the country's highest award are hockey wizard Dhyanchand, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister NT Rama Rao. Among the regrets is India first deputy PM Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The demand for a Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee is backed by Congress ally and National Conference chief Farooq Adbullah and also the JD(U), which ended its 17-year-old association the BJP after a bitter war of words.
Now this is a subtle message from former allies that the saffron party's choice of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its PM nominee in 2014 might not be the best and certainly not without its minuses.
This coming on a day when the spiritual head of the famed Ajmer dargah said that the BJP has made a mistake in choosing Modi as its leader is a feeler hard to miss.
In an interview to a national daily, Dewan Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan praised former PM Vajpayee and added that the saffron party made a mistake in choosing Modi as its PM nominee. "A communal person cannot become the Prime Minister. A person who sets caste against caste and a community against another is not a good leader," Abedin said.
Now what started as a debate on Bharat Ratna for Tendulkar has ended up bringing to fore a strong undercurrent in the political circle of the country: Is Modi the best choice for PM?
While nobody wanted to make a mention of this in times of a high-decibel poll campaign and it was perhaps set aside by political friends and foes alike for post-poll debates and bargains, it suddenly raised its head in the power corridors. There is no doubt it will be put to rest quickly at least until the polls are over.
Sach is politics!
No comments:
Post a Comment