Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Tuesday came out in support of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar after Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray slammed him for "I am an Indian first comment". "Sachin is a good cricketer and people opposing his recent statement are doing so only to gain cheap publicity," Deshmukh told reporters in Bhopal. "Every one is free to express his views in a democracy",Deshmukh said,adding that Sachin has not committed any wrong. Without naming Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena,he said that the problem lies with them adding there was no need to give importance to their statements. "If the media stop giving coverage to acts aimed to draw cheap publicity,such things will stop," he said. "This was just a media creation," he said to a query. He denied that Congress government in Maharashtra was soft on people indulging in whipping up regionalism and violence in the state,adding that around 2000 people have been booked in this regard in last few years. To a poser,Former Maharashtra Chief Minister said that MNS chief too has been booked but he got bail from a court. The Maharashtra government has moved an appeal in this connection,Deshmukh added. Deshmukh refuted reports that Congress was tactically supporting MNS,saying there was a lot of difference in the ideologies of the two parties. The Union Minister however said that both Sena and MNS had the same ideology. He said that Congress' victory in recent Maharashtra assembly polls indicates that people refuse the ideology of Sena and MNS.
