The Shiv Sena and the BJP traded barbs on Monday over the renaming of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award — the country’s highest sporting honour — as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award after the former accused the BJP-led Centre of petty politicking with this move.
“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,” said an edit which appeared in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana.
Pointing out that an award in Major Dhyan Chand’s memory already exists, the Sena, once an ally of the BJP in Maharashtra, said 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 in alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP in Maharashtra, further said 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,” reads the editorial, while accusing the Modi regime of practising “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.
Maharashtra BJP leaders Sanjay Pandey and Ram Kadam, however, countered 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.
“The Saamana which was once the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, has today become the mouthpiece of “Sonia Sena” [referring to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi],” said Mr. Pandey.
