Complaint filed against Sachin Tendulkar's visit to Gujarat's Gir Forest

Sachin Tendulkar at Gir Forest

On 22nd March 2014, legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, along with his wife Anjali, daughter Sarah, son Arjun and a couple of family friends had visited the Gir lion sanctuary.

A complaint was filed before the Election Commission by the  Right To Information (RTI) Activists’ Association of Junagadh, seeking action against forest officials R L Meena and Sandip Kumar allegation breach of the Model Code of Conduct.

“Take action against forest officials who accompanied Sachin Tendulkar and his family during their trip to Gir lion sanctuary, since by doing so, they have breached the Model Code of Conduct,” the Association said in its complaint.

“They took a caravan of government vehicles and stayed on for more time in the sanctuary. Hence, they have breached the Model Code of Conduct,” the complaint said.

“We have received a complaint on this issue. Those forest officers, who had accompanied Tendulkar, were not given any poll duty,” Junagadh district collector and returning officer Alok Kumar Pandey said.

“The district conservator of forests, who accompanied Tendulkar, has filed his reply saying that he was with Tendulkar to maintain law and order. We have sent the reply to higher authorities,” Pandey said.

Tendulkar and his family were taken to nearly 15 spots in Gir forest where lions can be easily spotted.