Chidambaram plays down Bal Thackeray's 'Dirty Picture' allegations

New Delhi, Apr 30 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday rubbished Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's allegations that the 'Dirty Picture' side of the ruling Congress Party had come to the fore through the nomination of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha.

"I haven't seen Dirty Picture. So, really can't say what he meant," said Chidambaram humorously.

"Is there anyone, who opposes the name of Sachin Tendulkar? Overwhelming majority of the country have welcomed the nomination of Sachin Tendulkar to the Rajya Sabha," he added.

Stating that every step that Congress takes has a selfish agenda, Thackeray earlier on Saturday said there was a need to check the 'motive' of that party in nominating cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to Rajya Sabha.

"One should be free to choose what one wants, for example this is my field etc. There should be no pressure. We have explained everything in 'Samna'. It is the Congress's dirtiest play, the real dirty picture is this," said Thackeray.

Tendulkar, who has brought many laurels to the nation through his remarkable achievements in the game of cricket, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi along with his wife Anjali at the former's residence on Thursday.

Tendulkar is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the first player to score a double century in ODI cricket.

In 2002, just 12 years into his career, Wisden ranked Tendulkar the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Donald Bradman, and the second greatest one-day-international (ODI) batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards. He was also a part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team. (ANI)