"I love Sachin a lot. The issue should not come up time and again as it does not leave a good taste," Joshi told IANS here, appearing keen to put an end to the controversy over Sachin's remarks.
Joshi, a former Lok Sabha speaker who is a Shiv Sena MP in the Rajya Sabha, said Sachin had "made Maharashtra famous" all over the world. "He is a great man. What can I say about him. But it will be good for him not to talk of political issues," Joshi said.
Following Sachin's remark earlier this month, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray had slammed the cricketer in the party mouthpiece Saamna, saying it had torn the Marathi heart.
While Thackeray's remarks had evoked nationwide criticism, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut took the issue further by saying in another Saamna article later that Sachin had not helped Marathi players but Sunil Gavaskar had done so.
But Joshi struck a conciliatory note.
Joshi, who has headed the cricket association in Mumbai, said Shiv Sena had no objection to Sachin's "I am an Indian first" remark as his party also puts "Jai Hind" before "Jai Maharashtra".
"But there was no need for the cricketer to say that Mumbai belongs to all Indians as Shiv Sena has a stand on the issue."
About violence unleashed by Shiv Sena workers on IBN network offices in Mumbai and Pune last week, Joshi said both sides should have followed their respective codes of conduct. He maintained his party workers felt incensed over IBN news channels "targeting" Thackeray.
Source: IANS
I still don't understand in what way i used offensive language and against whom. May be I am a dumbhead and I cannot understand the intelligence u have demonstrated in linking my statements with Tamil, chennai and Hindi haters etc. I have mentioned chennai along with other places of India and I don't see anything offensive. I don't know whose message u r refering as I have never mentioned about the rickshawalas, hindi haters etc. If possible, please check back as all our messages are available in this forum. For ur reference, I am pasting my exact comments below.
"So, what does this man say? Just because, some political party(i somehow don't think that these trouble making groups of ****s should be called 'Political Parties') has some stand on the issue, Sachin cannot make a comment like that. And may I know what that stand is? According to them, Maharastra and Mumbai does not belong to India and people of India. Then can we safely say that "Marathis are not Indians"? Why? because, these kind of rules are not there for other places in India. If I want to stay in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore or for that matter anywhere in India, I can stay. I can create my assets there, I can do a job there, I can travel in and out of that place and I don't have to take permission from anyone. But same thing cannot be said about Mumbai. Why? Don't u know thae answer? Some North Indians were harrassed by these custodians of Mumbai. Recently when Australians have attacked some of our Indian Students in Australia, we have shown so much protest. But in what way those hooligans different from these ****s? And why are we and our Govt not showing same seriousness in this issue? Why are we allowing these people to make such comments? and more importantly why are we allowing them to roam around and spread hatred? I must say that I am ashamed of being an Indian."
Please tell me where is the mention of Rickshawalas and Hindi haters?
In any case, there is no point trying to put sense into someone who don't even know to whose comments he is responding. All the best to you and May God bless u.
Dear Bharatyudu,
I replied your blog precisely b'cos you dragged Chennai and used offensive language when it wasn't called for. Let me quote your words once again "Chennai has a long way to go. At times, I travel to that god forsaken place for work. Each time, I speak Hindi, those idiots - Cabs to Rickwalas to every supposedly Civil person is a Hindi hater." These are your words not mine. I have not offended you but tried to reason with you not to bring in any language or community or place into controversy. The issue is about Shri. Sachin & Mr. Joshi and not about Tamilians or Chenniites or Hindi haters. I think you should read thro your original offensive comments before accusing others. I definitely do not have the time or inclination to enter into a verbal duel with you or anyone else for that matter. I just tried to explain the feelings of a non-hindi speaking citizen of India, when the Hindi speaking Indians accuse people south of Vindhyas of being stubborn & not reply in Hindi. Sorry, I think I have wasted my time & energy.
My Dear freind, Barju, I don't know why u have started getting into tamil, chennai and all that stuff? Did u understand what I have written? My friend, every place has uniqueness and people have their own way of interacting. We like some and we dont like some. Thats quite OK.
But do u have any place where a supposedly political party spreads hatred among people by differentiating them on the basis of region? And by the way, if someone hates hindi, is it neccessary that we should hate his language? What has language or region anything to do with the person we are interacting?
There will always be some or other difficulties any individual faces when he/she stays at a place different from his/her home town. I am not pointing those issues at all.
And for your kind information, I don't belong to Mumbai or Chennai. I belong to this country India and I want this country to be peaceful like all of you.
I have extreme respect for every part of this country. But offlate, it is hurting me when people are fighting on the name of regions and languages. Thats the reason I responded. And whatever I pointed out, I was referring to those political parties intentions. Please read my comments once again.
But, If u want to get into arguments about who is good? whether I hate tamil or marathi or punjabi etc such nonsense, then u have got a wrong person. Go and search another one.
And before writing comments, do read and understand what the other person is trying to say. This is a public forum, not a battle ground where we fight each other.
Mr/MS.Bharatiyudu,
"Chennai has a long way to go. At times, I travel to that god forsaken place for work. Each time, I speak Hindi, those idiots - Cabs to Rickwalas to every supposedly Civil person is a Hindi hater." These are very strong & provocative words, Mr/Ms. Bharatyudu. Chennaiites are not Hindi haters or Idiots as you term them - Not knowing an alien language (Hindi definitely is an Alien tongue to a Dravidian Chennaiite) does not make a person an Idiot. By your own words can I classify you an Idiot, since you do not know tamil - a Tongue Alien to you! Shri. A.R. Rehman did not know Hindi when he composed music for Roja - He learnt the language afterward because he felt the need for it - to open up his career. No body will object to you if you speak in English in Chennai. A cabwala or an Auto wala in Chennai does not need to learn Hindi as his life style does not require him to travel beyond the borders of Tamilnadu. If required he too will learn the same, unlike a snob like you who has to travel to Chennai frequently but hate the language of the place & are stubborn & dogmatic not to learn it. May i ask you a simple question? Is English good only for writing *$##! rated curses in MSN News & not good enough for finding your way around in Chennai? C'mon Mr/Ms. Bharatyudu, grow up. Finally if you consider yourself so smart why dont you learn Tamil & gain a working knowledge of it as you can advance your business since you visit the city often. Even the Koreans & Other foreign nationals who frequently travel on business to or live & work in Chennai are learning the language & have no hassles.
dont drag THE GREAT INDIAN SACHIN TENDULKAR in this filthy politics of deplorable selfish money seeking nation dividing politicians they are nothing but agents of divisive forces who do nothing good but fight fight fight coz they have nothing to do
Why should Sachin not "talk of political issues"? Why should anyone of us not "talk of political issues"? As a citizen he and everyone of us has a right to comment on an issue particularly those relevant to his State. India is a great country but we have terrorist outfits within our own boundaries that we need to deal with first.
Sachin has always shown clean and just morales on the cricket pitch. I am not surprised at the comment he made observing how Shiv Sena is raping Mumbai. Infact someone like Sachin should be at the helm of Indian politics.