Sena accuses Centre of petty politicking as it renames Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand

@the_news_21

Pune: Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre was renaming the country’s highest sporting honor the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award after the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, it has raised the hackles of the ruling Shiv Sena which through its party mouthpiece Saamana on Monday has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central Government of petty politics.

“Major Dhyan Chand could have been honoured without insulting the sacrifice made by late (Congress Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi. Renaming the award thus is a ‘political sport’ and not a public sentiment… But it appears that our country has lost this tradition and culture. Today, Dhyan Chand, too must be feeling the same way,” so said the Sena in an edit which appeared in the Saamana. 

The Saamana editorial argued that an award in Major Dhyan Chand’s memory already exists, the Sena, once allied with the BJP in Maharashtra, said that it was merely indulging in political games in the spirit of revenge and malice. 

“At a time when the country is celebrating a golden moment in its sports history due to its performance in the Tokyo Olympics, the Central government has played a political game. A bigger award could have been announced in Dhyan Chand’s memory…the Modi government would have been applauded had it done so,” said the editorial. 

The Sena, which is now in ruling alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, further said that the sacrifice of two former prime ministers – Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi – both of whom fell prey to terrorist’s weapons and had contributed immensely to the progress of the country, ought not to become a subject of ridicule. 

“While there is room for differences in a democracy, but the sacrifice of the Prime Ministers, who have contributed immensely to the progress of the country, cannot become a subject of ridicule,” the editorial further accuses the Modi government of practicing “politics of hate”. 

The editorial mocked the BJP’s assertions over renaming the award on grounds that the late Rajiv Gandhi, unlike Dhyan Chand, had never held a hockey stick in his hand. 

“The BJP’s ‘political players’ are asking whether Rajiv Gandhi ever held a hockey stick in his hand?’ Their question is valid, but if the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad was renamed after Narendra Modi, did the Prime Minister achieve any feat of note in cricket? Or named the stadium of Delhi after Arun Jaitley. The same standard can be applied there as well,” it said. 

It pointed out that in 1956, Dhyan Chand was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award.  

“Dhyan Chand’s birthday is celebrated as ‘National Sports Day’. National awards are also given in the name of Dhyan Chand. Major Dhyan Chand had a close relationship with Pandit Nehru. Therefore, erasing the name of Rajiv Gandhi, who made the supreme sacrifice for the country, and putting the name of Major Dhyan Chand is not right,” said the Sena. 

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP leaders Sanjay Pandey and MLA Ram Kadam hit out at the editorial and the Sena’s chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut, remarking that while the Sena in the past had hurled insults at the Congress, it had conveniently changed tack now that it was sharing power with the party in the State. 

“The Saamana which was once the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, has today become the mouthpiece of “Sonia Sena” (in oblique reference to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi),” remarked Pandey.