Sachin Tendulkar to take oath as Rajya Sabha member today
Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar will on Monday take oath as Rajya Sabha member in the chambers of RS Chairperson Hamid Ansari. Sachin was nominated to the Upper House along with film actress Rekha and industrialist Anu Aga in April, but had to wait to take his oath until the end of IPL season 5.
The nomination of Tendulkar had sparked a political slugfest with the opposition parties questioning the timing of the move by the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena had said that the timing of the nomination suggests that it is aimed at distracting attention from scams.
World chess champion Viswanathan Anand on Saturday said that Tendulkar serving as Rajya Sabha member would be a big step in his life and wished the cricket legend to enjoy his new role. “I hope he (Tendulkar) enjoys his role and he is able to do it very well. It’s a big step for him and I think he will
enjoy it,” Anand said.
Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his senior teammate Sachin Tendulkar will make a contribution as a Rajya Sabha member also. “This (Rajya Sabha) is a new avenue for him and I am sure he will do well and contribute there also,” Dhoni said.
Tendulkar is the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.