Dubbing it "double standard", Indian cricket icon Kapil Dev slammed the government for waiving the Rs 1.13 crore duty on the Ferrari car gifted to ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar by Fiat and called for a uniform policy for all sportspersons.
"While I am happy about Sachin getting a car, it (the duty waiver) should apply to every sportsperson. That is more important," Kapil told reporters in Bangalore on Thursday.
"Why can we not have the same system for everybody... because everybody sweats for his country. I think they (Finance Ministry) should have given a discount, as it was in their hands... a change of policy totally, I don't think it's a good point," he said.
"You can't change a policy for one person. If you change a policy, you change it for everybody.
"Suppose tomorrow Viswanathan Anand or Dhanraj Pillay or Sourav Ganguly or Amitabh Bachchan gets an aircraft as a gift, will you charge duty or not?
"If you charge duty, then this policy (of exemption for Sachin) is wrong. If you don't charge, then this policy is fair.
"You have to set a precedent, and you can set a precedent. I hope the government is in a better position to answer."
Kapil said, as a sportsperson, he is happy that Tendulkar got the car.
"I paid duty on both my cars. I feel it should not happen like this."
He recalled that two years ago, the government did not give even a "penny" as relief to golfer Amandeep Johl, who had won a Lexus car in a tournament in South Korea and ultimately he had to forfeit the car.
"This kind of double standards should not be practised," the former all-rounder said.
Have your say:
