JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari questions decision to award Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar

New Delhi: Nitish Kumar has made it clear that his senior party colleague Shivanand Tiwari is speaking only for himself when he questions the decision to award Sachin Tendulkar the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

"It is a personal opinion of Tiwari... everybody has an opinion," Mr Kumar, Bihar's Chief Minister, said, adding, "I welcome the Bharat Ratna given to Sachin Tendulkar who served the country through his extraordinary contribution to the game."

Mr Tiwari, a Lok Sabha MP from the Janata Dal (United) of JD(U), has argued that legendary hockey player Dhyanchand should have been given the first Bharat Ratna awarded to a sportsman. "His magic impressed even fascist leaders of Germany who offered him money, comfortable and luxurious life but Dhyan Chand stuck to India," he said.

The MP also said, "Sachin Tendulkar was not playing free of cost. Sachin has made crores of rupees by helping corporates to market cricket in the country."

The Maharashtra-based Shiv Sena has attacked Mr Tiwari for his comment. "Even without that piece of paper Sachin is India's Bharat Ratna. Does Tiwari suggest we give it to Lalu Yadav instead?" asked the party's Sanjay Raut sarcastically.

"Tiwari has no right to speak on Tendulkar. Sachin is part of India's identity, Shivanand Tiwari is not," the Shiv Sena leader also said.

The JD(U) which rules Bihar and the Shiv Sena were longstanding partners in the BJP-led national democratic alliance or NDA before the former walked out in June this year, led by Nitish Kumar, who said he would not wait to see political rival Narendra Modi being named presumptive PM by the BJP.

Both Mr Kumar and the Shiv Sena said today that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP too should be awarded a Bharat Ratna.

"He deserves it. Why should not it be given to him?" Mr Kumar said today.

"If Rajiv Gandhi can get it then why not Vajpayee?" asked Mr Raut, emphasising that those who are demanding the award for Mr Vajpayee are not opposed to Sachin Tendulkar getting it.