Prahar MLA Bachchu Kadu has strongly criticised cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for endorsing online gaming. Kadu has demanded that either Sachin drop the advertisement promoting gambling or return the Bharat Ratna. Kadu staged a protest outside Sachin's house today. The police have detained the protesters.
"Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Tendulkar was repeatedly asked to halt the Paytm First gambling advertisements. However, this request has not been acted upon yet. We hold no opposition against Tendulkar, but such behaviour is inappropriate for a Bharat Ratna recipient. We urge that either the advertisements should not be discontinued or the Bharat Ratna be returned," Bacchu Kadu said.
"If Sachin doesn't comply with any of this, Tendulkar's begging bowl and Tendulkar's instruction box will be set up near bus stops and Ganesh mandals all over Maharashtra," Kadu remarked.
"If you're promoting online gaming, why not endorse 'matka' as well? Why the double standard? We are protesting because of his Bharat Ratna status. If they were just cricketers, we wouldn't have protested," he said.
"Sachin Tendulkar has numerous fans. Therefore, their ad affects everyone, including children. In the upcoming Ganeshotsav, we will place donation boxes in every Ganesh mandal. These boxes will remain there for 10 days. Subsequently, I will collect the money from all these donation boxes and hand it over to Sachin Tendulkar," Kadu stated.