DHAKA: Mulayam Singh Yadav led Samajwadi Party has invited cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to join the party.

Sports minister Narad Rai is reported to have told mediapersons in Ballia that Sachin may join Samajwadi Party.

‘The final decision would be taken up by the party high command,’ Rai is reported to have said, according to The Times of India.

Rai though said that Sachibn should not come into politics as that would dampen his credentials and lessen his accomplishment.

The sports minister added that giving Bharat Ratna to Sachin is absolutely justified.

He said that SP would have been more pleased had the cricketing legend had taken retirement after playing in green park in Kanpur.

The Centre had announced Bharat Ratna to be conferred on Tendulkar on the day of his retirement last week.

Though there have been no invitation from other political parties, the SP leader, who was recently inducted into Cabinet by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav gave an open invitation to Tendulkar.

The invitation was taken with a pinch of salt by other political parties.

A senior Congress leader said that if Sachin at all wanted to join any political party, he would join a national outfit and not a regional one.

Likewise, a BJP leader said that the cricketing icon was above any political party, leave aside the Samajwadi Party which is a party of goons.

BDST: 2041 HRS, NOV 18, 2013
RoR/JCK