Sachin Tendulkar’s debut speech in the Rajya Sabha was scratched due to the ruckus created by Congress members. They continued to raise slogans, while he, dressed in a Nehruvian jacket, stood still for as long as 10 minutes in desperation for a chance to speak up on matters related to the country’s sports and its betterment. Unfortunately, he did not secure the chance.
However, instead of apologising for their behaviour, a senior member of the Congress commented on the entire incident by saying, “Sachin Tendulkar, does a Bharat Ratna give you license to speak?”
Even as the Rajya Sabha member remained cool and frigid, his facial expressions spoke everything that was running through his mind aloud. He was faced with the perfect combination of anxiety and political aspiration. He looked frightened – an emotion that he had never shown on the cricket pitch. His beating heart pounded faster with each shout. He showed enough pain and tolerance, anticipating what was coming next when the house was disrupted.
He stood for a genuine reason – to speak up about the condition of sports and sportsperson in India, but the opportunity to speak up was denied.
Mrs Jaya Bachchan was one of the few prominent names who spoke up in his favour. She seemed to have been wholeheartedly supporting him. It was Sachin Tendulkar’s maiden endeavour to put his vital views in regard to the sports’ situation – but the match got called off. However, as a parliamentarian, he does not have a good attendance record. He is said to have attended the parliamentary session for 23 days out of a total of 348 days.
Had he spoken at the time, he certainly would have highlighted the plight of those medal earners who require better financial support at this hour. He also wished to raise the issue of bringing improvements in our preparation for the Olympics. The Congress revelled in disrupting and sloganeering to halt the business at the Rajya Sabha, robbing the country of a day spent well and debating on issues that really matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQW6tsWo2ec