PIL filed against Sachin Tendulkar

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed against Indian cricket legend and Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar. The PIL raises objection to Sachin Tendulkar, being a Bharat Ratna, doing advertisements for various products. The PIL may lead to Sachin returning his Bharat Ratna award.

The PIL against him has been admitted in a Madhya Pradesh High Court. According to reports, the HC has asked if there are any Supreme Court guidelines on Bharat Ratna awardees promoting commercial products.

The petitioner, Bhopal-based VK Naswah, was not comfortable with Tendulkar doing commercial endorsements and added that either he should return the Bharat Ratna on grounds of propriety or the government should take it back. According to him, “Using this honour for commercial purpose is ‘illegitimate.”

Tendulkar, has also been in trouble regarding the same issue earlier too.  A Mumbai-based NGO had written a letter to him last year asking him to not endorse commercial products on television.

Tendulkar, 42, endorses more than 12 brands currently including Aviva Life Insurance, Boost, MRF and many others.

Tendulkar, the highest run scorer in both ODIs and Tests, was conferred with this honour last year ahead of the Hockey Maestro Dhyanchand.

He retired on November 16, 2013 in his home ground at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, thus ending 24 year old illustrous career