Apologise to Sachin Tendulkar & Lata ji; don't insult Bharat Ratnas: BJP to Rahul & Sonia

BJP MLA Ram Kadam on Wednesday demanded an apology from Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of ''maligning'' Bharat Ratna recipients including Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar, in the ongoing debate over farmers' protest.

'Stop image maligning charade of Bharat Ratnas' 

"Request Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to tender an apology and stop this image maligning charade of our Bharat Ratnas Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar," Kadam tweeted.

In an open letter posted on his Twitter, the BJP leader said, "There has been a strategic attempt from leaders of Congress party to malign the image of our Bharat Ratnas like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar. These are legends and have served our country with the utmost sincerity. Their devotion to this country can never be undermined or questioned." "Unfortunately, several Congress leaders have been indulging in image maligning charade of these legends," the letter stated.

The BJP leader further accused opposition parties of spreading propaganda to gain international recognition. "The sinister propaganda by opposition parties to gain international recognition with the support of foreign stars stands exposed. When the country's image is been dented by people who have no clue about our land, it is our legends who came forward to take a united stand," Kadam wrote.

Maharashtra govt to probe celebs

This comes after Congress leader Sachin Sawant on Monday informed that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has given orders to the Intelligence Department to probe the row over tweets by celebrities on the farmers' issue. He also hit out at BJP alleging that national heroes were being intimidated by the ruling party.

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"The government sprung into action after Rihanna tweeted on the farmers' issue. This was followed by a series of tweets from celebrities. If a person, be it a celebrity, opines on their own, it's fine. But there is scope for suspicion that the BJP is behind this. Similar words like 'amicable' have been used in these tweets," Sawant told ANI.

Celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Lata Mangeshkar among several others had tweeted calling for unity in the country after international pop star Rihanna, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and others extended their support to farmers protesting at the borders of India's capital against the three agriculture laws.

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