'This is an insult': Lata Mangeshkar reacts to Sachin Tendulkar's maiden Parliament speech being disrupted

Everyone knows that Lata Mangeshkar, the Nightingale of India and Sachin Tendulkar, the iconic cricketer share a very special bond with each other. Both the living legends never skip a moment to greet, applaud or back each other. So, when Sachin was not allowed to speak at Parliament’s Winter Session last week, it got his ‘Lata Didi’ upset.

While talking to The Quint, the legendary singer expressed her displeasure when Sachin’s maiden speech in Parliament was disrupted by Congressmen.  She said:

Sachin calls me Maa. He called to take my blessings before proceeding to Parliament. Then, when I heard what had happened I was very distressed. Sachin ko bolne nahin diya (they didn’t allow him to speak). This is an insult to not just one of cricket’s biggest icons but also to any voice chosen to be heard in the Parliament.

Remember the reply Sachin had tweeted calling Lata Mangeshkar ‘Maa’ when she wished him for his biopic- Sachin: A Billion Dreams.

Maa ke aashirwad bina chouke chakke kabhi nahi lagte. Aap mere liye Maa samaan ho. Thank you so much for your blessings! https://t.co/R9qmWr4a8S

— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 20, 2017

She further added that:

He is a man of integrity and a sportsperson of tremendous worth. I am glad he chose to put the speech that he prepared for Parliament on Twitter. The advantage of social media is that we get to express ourselves directly. The disadvantage is we often get trolled for speaking out our heart.

Here’s what exactly happened with Sachin Tendulkar:

Rajya Sabha MP Sachin rose to speak in the House when Congress members disrupted the proceedings, demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify  his remarks on former PM Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign.

Mangeshkar, not only expressed her anger about what happened with Sachin in the Parliament, she also recalled her own bitter experience. She told:

I was criticized for not attending parliament, when in fact I had made it clear that it would be difficult for me to do so due to health issues. But when Sachin attends he is not allowed to speak. So we (with the voices that are chosen to be heard) get slammed either way, whether we choose to remain silent or to speak.