New Delhi, June 4 : India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar today took the oath as Rajya Sabha nominated member.
Sachin, alongwith his wife Anjali and brother Ajit, went to Parliament House in Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajiv Shukla's red beacon light Ambassador car.
Sachin went to the chamber of Rajya Sabha chairperson Hamid Ansari who administered the oath to the batsman.
Sachin Tendulkar is India's first active sportsperson to become a nominated Rajya Sabha member.
Sachin read out the oath in Hindi in the presence of Rajya Sabha chairperson Hamid Ansari. He took his oath "in the name of God".
Minister in PMO V Narayanaswamy, Parliamentary Affairs ministers Rajiv Shukla and Harish Rawat and Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav were present inside the chairperson's chamber when Sachin took the oath.
Later, Sachin's wife Anjali joined in the group photo session with the vice-president Hamid Ansari and other ministers.
Sachin joins the ranks of Mohammed Azharuddin, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chetan Chauhan and Kirti Azad. While Chetan Chauhan is an ex-LS member, Azharuddin, Sidhu and Kirti Azad are presently elected members of Lok Sabha .
Gandhian Anna Hazare welcomed Sachin's political innings as Rajya Sabha member. "I extend my best wishes to him and felicitate him. I can only tell Sachin that youths like him should join politics in the interest of the nation.
"While we are mobilizing like-minded youths outside Parliament, we hope Sachin will work for the national interest inside Parliament", said Hazare.
Team Anna member and former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde said he wished all the best for Sachin
. "I don't think Team Anna has anything to do with Sachin, but as a member of Team India I wish him all the best."
