I hate cricket too, for that matter I hate watching and following sports. So what has this got to do with Sachin?
Please answer one question- why did you associate Sachin with Cricket and nothing else?
Are you even aware that apart from being a cricketer he also is a member of the Rajya Sabha?
I am sure you weren't. Or may be you just didn't care.
Brace yourself and read further. I promise I won't bore you. You still can view Sachin as a GOD!
Let's start with the well known Ferrari Tax evasion issue.
Forget about the tax part. First tell me who sells a gift?
Sachin was gifted a Ferrari by Fiat presented by Michael Schumacher after equalling Don Bradman's 29 centuries.
Every Indian. Every damn Indian has to pay an import duty of 120% but our Sachin was so poor he couldn't afford to pay the tax. This became a sensation in the newspapers as with anything associated with Sachin or Shah Rukh.
Though the amount 1.13 Crore was waived, the High Court sent notices to the Ministries. Fiat realized this was getting out of hand and decided to pay the amount.
All solved?
NO! Sachin sold the car to a Surat based businessman. Well this time he didn't claim Capital gains exemption.
His hatred to pay taxes doesn't end here:
According to another news report, the cricketer also claimed an income tax deduction of Rs 57,969 towards staff welfare expenses. This included money spent on tea and snacks provided to his staff. Also, Rs 50,000 each as telephone and entertainment expenses and another Rs 1,42,824 as car expenses. However, the I-T tribunal discharged these claims explaining that that the use of telephone, car and food was for the cricketer and his family.
I'm an actor and not a cricketer!
Yes!! these were the actual words of Sachin the great.
The excuse: he models for TV advertisements. In order to save tax of around Rs 2 crore on income derived from doing TV commercials, Tendulkar told the Income Tax tribunal that acting, not cricket, is his profession. The tribunal accepted that he is an artist on the grounds that "he has to use his own skills, imagination and creativity in the commercials".
This is one act where the man who holds almost all the batting records in cricket has outdone himself.
His stint as a Rajya Sabha Member:
He was chosen as a member of Rajya sabha for a good reason so that he could contribute for the well being of the country. Bring up discussions/debates in the sports sector using his own experience being a sportsman. There are thousands of other sports which don't get the bare minimum respect it deserves. We often come across the apathy towards the sportsmen of other sports on social media. Well wait wait!!! He said he is not a sportsman.
Discussion ends!
In this case shouldn't he just resign from the Govt., post? He definitely draws money from the Govt right? Pension for a lifetime, car, etc etc etc.
This is a screenshot which I found from the Govt Rajya Sabha Website
What did he do? What has been his contribution:
Do you guys remember the time when he returned to play cricket immediately after attending his father's funeral? He had missed just one match.
Ofcourse none is expecting so much of commitment in Rajya Sabha but so pathetic attendance?
Do you even remember you are a Rajya Sabha member Mr. Sachin?
There are 13 sessions in this Season in which sachin has attended 1 (ONE)
which means his attendance percentage is less than 8%
How shamelessly can someone continue to hold on to the position?
Wait wait let me summarize few more:
Match Fixing/IPL Spot fixing:
Monkeygate
BCCI started providing matches for Sachin to score his 100th century rather than providing matches to test Indian team.
Sachin's Interest = "National Interest"- Prior to the World Cup in 1999, Sachin's car hit a Maruti 800 in Bandra. Sachin went out of his way to ensure the incident did not make it to the newspapers or media. Except Indian Express, not a single paper published the story. Why? Sachin called up Bal Thackeray and used his influence to pressurize newspapers from carrying the story citing "national interest". The "national interest" was that Mohammad Azharuddin was going to be sacked and such news could damage Sachin's chances of being declared captain.
Forgot to include a Gym in a 8898 Sq.Ft Plot. To err is human. Rather than convert one of the many rooms, Tendulkar asked the government to make an exemption and let him build further on the property.
Let's have a bonus-
The Bharat Ratna -
Though the Bharat Ratna is an award the leaders have given to one other. Infact some have awarded to themselves!
Do you seriously believe Sachin deserved the Bharat Ratna more than Dhyan Chand?
I won't go on arguing why Dhyan is more deserving.
There are many who are more deserving and haven't received.
The Bharat Ratna is our highest civilian award. Before 16 December, it was a reward for “exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order”.
And obviously Sachin didn't fall into the category. So what do we do? Amend!!
Now, it may be “awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour”.
As per Manmohan and P.Chidambaram under whom the award comes the award could be given to Aamir Khan, Madhuri Dixit and probably anyone based on popularity.
The Indian Air Force made Sachin a group captain. The only sports personality to hold that position.
Recently he rejected a honorary doctrate from an University which was a right thing to do. Where has this humility been?
Now tell me do you still wish Sachin to be your kid's role model?
This post might look like a emotionally driven write up.
Indeed it is. Temple for Sachin? Living God? Give me a break!!!
Did I show my love for Rahul Dravid anywhere in the post? Let's keep it for someother day.
References:
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Aakar Patel's Book
