Mumbai is for all Indians, says Tendulkar

Mumbai: India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar rebutted the ‘Marathi Manoos’ brand of politics of the Shiv Sena and the Maharastra Navnirman Sena (MNS), saying that Mumbai is for all Indians. Tendulkar, who will be celebrating his 20 years in international cricket Sunday, clearly indicated that every Indian has a right to make Mumbai his home. “Mumbai belongs to all Indians. I am a Maharashtrian and am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian first,” he said at a press conference here Friday. Tendulkar said that the best moment of his life was when he got the India cap in 1989. “The most important moment of my life was the day I got my India cap (Nov 15 in Karachi). I was on cloud nine. It was a moment I have dreamt for,” he said. Protest in Lucknow against MNS Activists of a Muslim organisation today staged a demonstration here demanding that the Election Commission (EC) cancel the registration of MNS over its "anti-national stand of opposing Hindi." Members of North Indian Public Union (NIPU) also burnt the effigy of MNS chief Raj Thackrey near Tile-Wali masjid in Old City area. "We demand the EC to cancel registration of MNS and lodge cases against its legislators over their anti-national stand of opposing Hindi," Tausif Shamshad Siddiqui, a leader of NIPU, said. The activists alleged that opposing the national language was an "anti-national" act and those doing so should be dealt with strictly. MNS members of Maharashtra Assembly had assaulted Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi on the first day of the new House for taking oath in Hindi against the Thackrey-led party`s diktat. IANS inputs