Pads, gloves, helmets and bat. Essential cricketing gear was on display as Sachin Tendulkar supporters gathered outside his Bandra residence in solidarity towards their favourite icon in support of his recent tweet.

He was found himself in the middle of a controversy after the cricketing legend tweeted, among other celebrities, in response to singer Rihanna’s tweet on the ongoing farmers protest.

He tweeted: “India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let’s remain united as a nation.”

Fans and supporters rallied outside his Bandra residence as part of the ‘Sachin Samarthan Rally’, organised by the BJP, shouted slogans in support of Tendulkar. The Sachin chant was reverberating in the atmosphere till the time Mumbai police outnumbered the group and dispersed the support rally.

While many praised the Bharat Ratna awardee for putting his views across, NCP leader Sharad Pawar had suggested that Tendulkar should exercise caution in the matter. However, a supporter of the ‘Sachin Samarthan Rally’ said, “The said political leader, who is asking Sachin to maintain caution, has been the BCCI president in the past and has done and said things on different issues. I think these people who are asking Sachin to observe caution are not really thinking for the good of the nation, their intentions are different. This is something we all feel and that’s why we are here to support Sachin.”

Tendulkar’s tweet has irked the Maharashtra State government, who has announced that it will probe tweets made by celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar to ascertain whether it was done under pressure. It was clearly hinting at the BJP and accusing it of pressurising celebrities to tweet against the farmer’s protest. But targeting Sachin to settle political scores has not gone down well with fans of the master blaster.

“For someone who’s given us the World Cup, given his sweat and blood for this country and played cricket for this nation is being probed by the Maharashtra government for his tweet, which essentially speaks about unity of this country will not be tolerated by lovers of this nation and the sport. To me he’s god, I’m here to do a namaskar in front of his building. I absolutely feel it’s wrong to put a man of such stature under the scanner for a tweet which is in no sense offensive.”

“Whatever he’s said was not wrong, I’m here to support him and we love him. He’s a nationalist and has said keeping his country in mind so all these players and fans believe this; we are here for Sachin and the country,” he said.

While politics may not be Sachin’s field of expertise, the master blaster so far has decided to maintain a dignified silence over the issue.