Sachin Tendulkar takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is sworn in as a member of the Rajya Sabha - Agencies
Sachin began the new innings as a member of Parliament. He took oath as member of Rajya Sabha to which he was nominated on April 26.
39-year-old Tendulkar, who was accompanied by his wife Anjali, took oath in the chamber of Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari.
"Cricket comes first," Tendulkar said when reporters asked whether he preferred cricket to Parliament.
Two others -- actor Rekha and industrialist Anu Aga -- who were nominated to Rajya Sabha along with Tendulkar had taken oath last month when the House was in session.
Tendulkar was busy with the IPL season, which ended on May 27. He had created history by scoring 100 international centuries in March this year.
Tendulkar has taken oath in the Rajya Sabha for a seat theoretically reserved for people who distinguish themselves in the fields of arts, sciences or social service.
He will be the first active sportsman to serve in the house, though he has previously vowed to steer clear of politics and is expected to hold the seat only as an honorary position.
When he was nominated in April, a section of the media said the gesture made 'little sense' while some opposition lawmakers accused the government of crass populist politics.
Om Mathur, a BJP member of parliament, said at the time that Tendulkar was being used by the ruling Congress party to boost its support in the cricketer's home state of Maharashtra.
Tendulkar is the world's highest run-scorer in both Test and one-day cricket and in March became the first batsman to complete 100 international centuries -- 51 in Tests and 49 in one-dayers.
He shows no sign of retiring in the near future.
"I believe the president has chosen me after recognising what I have done for over 22 years," he said after he was nominated.
"Cricket is my expertise. I would like to contribute to that field. I am a sportsman and I will always be a sportsman."
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