I Prefer To Stay In A Hotel, Says Sachin

NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI: A fine cricketing instinct, almost a sixth sense, has often seen Sachin Tendulkar leave a ball — something that has earned him plaudits from the game's pundits.

But the cricket maestro could be in two minds over whether to play the delivery or opt for a "well left" with regard to the allotment of a large Lutyens bungalow near Rahul Gandhi's residence, as he is being advised that not accepting the accommodation might be read as his being non-serious about his duties as a parliamentarian.

Tendulkar, who recently took oath as an RS member, has said he would rather stay in a hotel at his own expense than use a bungalow that will cost the public exchequer.

While some feel Sachin Tendulkar has acted correctly by refusing to stay at a large Lutyens bungalow allotted to him as an MP, others have been trying to tell the star that opting for a hotel will be seen as an indication that he will be only an itinerant visitor, just like many other celebrities nominated before him by the President to the Upper House.

While Tendulkar is being offered a surfeit of advice, former Bollywood star Rekha is likely to opt for a secluded bungalow at 15, Balwant Rai Mehta lane, off Kasturba Gandhi Marg in central Delhi, not far from Connaught Place. The bungalow was occupied by BJP's Ramdas Aggarwal, who is to vacate it soon. She is understood to be keen on inspecting it once before accepting the bungalow.

Sources said no special considerations were at work in offering large bungalows for either, as RS members nominated by the President are entitled to type VII accommodation rather than the smaller flats given to first time MPs.

In Tendulkar's case, the security of the icon, who was once on Lashkar's hit list, is an added concern. "There is no need for Tendulkar to feel that he has been done a favour and is costing the government," the source said. In an interview, Tendulkar said it would be a waste of the taxpayers' money if he were to move into a government residence.

"I'm not keen on blocking a government bungalow because this would be a waste of tax-payers' money as I reside in Mumbai. It would be better if the bungalow is allotted to someone else who needs it more than me," he said in a statement to TOI.

"I would prefer to stay in a hotel in Delhi at my own expense when I am on official work. For me, the honour of being a RS MP matters most." Tendulkar, who took an oath as MP on June 4 after being nominated in RS last month, was allotted a spacious five-bedroom bungalow at 5, Tughlaq Lane, opposite Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's house.

There are rumours that the bungalow is jinxed as its previous occupants, former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma and former Haryana CM Bansi Lal's son Surender Singh died while being its occupants. Singh died in a helicopter crash in 2005 while Verma died in a car crash in June, 2007. Tendulkar dismissed such talk, saying, "I will be attending a few days of Parliament in every session and will be busy with cricket at other times. So it doesn't make sense blocking the bungalow."