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Cricketer and newly elected Rajya Sabha MP, Sachin Tendulkar set a noble precedent on Saturday, refusing the 7000 square feet-Type 7 official bungalow, as the batting legend felt it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money. Sachin was allotted a 5, Tughlaq Lane bunglow opposite the official accommodation of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to a television channel, the batting maestro said, “I am not keen on staying in any government bungalow as I will be in Delhi for only a few days. I feel this would be a waste of tax payers money and it would be better if the bungalow is allotted to someone else who needs the bungalow more than me.” Sachin added that he would prefer staying in a hotel whenever he visits the Capital. "For me the honour of being nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP matters much more than the perks and privileges like being given a government bungalow," he said. Sachin, who took oath as a Rajya Sabha member on Monday, is the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha under the Prominent Citizens Quota. He was nominated to the Upper House along with film actress Rekha and industrialist Anu Aga in April, but had to wait to take his oath until the end of IPL season 5. The nomination of Tendulkar had sparked a political slugfest with the opposition parties questioning the timing of the move by the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena had said that the timing of the nomination suggests that it is aimed at distracting attention from scams. 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.

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar declines official bungalow