Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar cited a medical emergency as the reason for his absence from parliament, at a felicitation ceremony for the winners of the recently concluded Commonwealth Games at the Vigyan Bhavan.
Speaking to ANI, Sachin said, "My elder brother had to go through a by-pass surgery and I had to be by his side. Due to this emergency, I was unable to be present in parliament." Acknowledging that his absence has been discussed quite a bit, he stated that he did not wish to disrespect the Rajya Sabha.
Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar had been heavily criticized by his fellow MPs after it emerged that the Bharat Ratna awardee is yet to attend a single session in parliament this year.
