Sachin Tendulkar to deliver a speech on 'Right to Play' in Rajya Sabha

Sachin Tendulkar was nominated to Rajya Sabha in April 2012.

Sachin Tendulkar | Getty

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who happens to be a Rajya Sabha member, is all set to deliver a speech on the right to play and the future of sports in Parliament on Thursday (December 21).

After being nominated as the Rajya Sabha member back in 2012, the Master Blaster is yet to initiate a debate in the upper house.

Tendulkar in the company of BJP MP Ranvijay Singh Judev and Congress MP PL Punia raised the issue on Wednesday, but the question couldn't be taken up for debate and has been scheduled for the next day. According to the regulations of Rajya Sabha, any nominated member wishing to ask a question on the subject related to urgent public importance has to give notice in writing to the Secretary-General precisely mentioning the matter.

Tendulkar and veteran Bollywood actress Rekha were nominated by the President based on the recommendation made by the ruling government in 2012. Since then, the batting maestro has faced a lot of criticism for his long terms of absenteeism from the Parliament.

Earlier this year, the Samajwadi Party leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Naresh Agarwal had raised questions over Sachin's poor attendance in the house.

"Sachin Tendulkar and Rekha should resign if they are not interested in parliament, they are hardly present in parliament." SP MP quoted while speaking in the Upper House of Parliament in August.

Nonetheless, Tendulkar has asked quite a few questions in the five year's period thus far. In 2015, he asked the Ministry of Human Resource Development about Yoga in schools and making sports a compulsory subject. In 2016, Sachin raised questions on employment for former sportspersons and utilization of stadiums and sports grounds.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 21 Dec, 2017

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