Sushil Modi decries RJD's 'Tendulkar undeserving of Bharat Ratna' logic; brings in Nehru

BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday castigated RJD for taking offence to Sachin Tendulkar's statement against foreign meddling in the stir against the farm laws. In a veiled response to the comments on the farm agitation by some foreign celebrities, Tendulkar tweeted, "India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let's remain united as a nation". Earlier in the day, senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari had accused the Centre of pitting Tendulkar against the likes of Rihanna and Greta Thunberg.

Moreover, he opined that the legendary cricketer did not deserve the Bharat Ratna. Responding to this comment, the former Bihar Deputy CM asked RJD on its opinion pertaining to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi who were awarded the Bharat Ratna during their tenure as Prime Minister. Training his guns on Nehru, Modi questioned whether a person who has been accused of being responsible for partition, enacting Article 370 and the loss in the 1962 war with China should have been conferred with the country's highest civilian honour. Thus, the BJP leader advised RJD to stop politicising awards of national honour. 

Read: PFJ Founder’s Video Out; Claims 'Repealing Farm Laws Is Beginning', Gives 'Khalistan' Call

Stirring a controvery, RJD's Shivanand Tiwari told the media, "What do the farmers even know? The Twitter politics has started nowadays. Everyone is playing Twitter politics. What information about Twitter do farmers and people living in villages have? Or what would he know about Greta Thunberg or the woman who sings? And you have pitted Sachin Tendulkar against them. Sachin Tendulkar is a Bharat Ratna. A person who has received the Bharat Ratna keeps doing advertisements. He is a model. It is an insult to give the Bharat Ratna to someone like Sachin Tendulkar. When he received the award, I had strongly opposed it. By making these people speak, do they want that people will be blind to reality?"

Read: PM Modi: 'Narendra Tomar Has Given Detailed Info On Every Aspect Of Farm Laws In Rajya Sabha'

JD(U) seeks action

Meanwhile, JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan asked the RJD leadership to take strict action against Shivanand Tiwari. According to him, the language used by the RJD leader for Sachin Tendulkar in the context of the Bharat Ratna could not be pardoned. Lashing out at Rihanna and Thunberg for commenting on India's "internal matter", he opined that Tiwari made this statement on the instructions of Tejashwi Yadav. 

"I feel that such statements are made on the instructions of Tejashwi Yadav. We don't have any hope that RJD will take any action. But if they (RJD) want to discharge their duty towards the peace-loving citizens of the country and if they have even a little respect for democracy, they should initiate action against him," the JD(U) spokesperson said. 

Read: BJP MP Urges To Hold Discussion On 'global Conspiracy Against India' In LS Amid Farm Stir