Have Sachin and Rekha insulted the Parliament by rarely attending sessions?

Long durations of absence from Parliament have cost former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent Bollywood actor Rekha some of their celebrity status. This issue was raised in the Rajha Sabha by their colleagues and has also become a talking point in the media.

Since their nomination in 2012, Tendulkar attended three and Rekha was present in seven sittings respectively. As a matter of fact, 230 Rajya Sabha sittings were held after Tendulkar retired from active cricket and he has not attended any of them. Questions are now arising if these almost permanent absentees have insulted Parliament, India's highest seat of democracy.

Former cricketer and BJP MP Kirti Azad felt that they should be privileged for being nominated to Parliament and must discharge their duties honourably.

"I have won Lok Sabha polls thrice. In my last stint as MP I attended 94 percent of the 15th Lok Sabha. I only missed 22 days because my parents had passed away. Once you accept the nomination you should also accept the responsibility that comes along with it. He should attend the sessions and may be he could give his input on how to develop sports in the country. Perhaps both Tendulkar and Rekha must be feeling out of place completely. They must attend the House regularly to get accustom to it," Azad told Times Now during a debate.

The importance of the nominated members in Rajya Sabha can be judged from the words of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who said in the House of the People on 13 May 1953: "…The President has nominated some members of the Council of States who, if I may say so, are among the most distinguished, taking everybody in Parliament altogether – it is true, distinguished in arts, science, etc. – and our Constitution in its wisdom gave that. They do not represent political parties or anything, but they represent really the high watermark of literature or art or culture or whatever it may be.... Since the Rajya Sabha was constituted in 1952, in all, one hundred and five members have so far been nominated to the House. A list of nominated members is annexed at the end of this booklet. Among these nominated members we find scholars, jurists, educationists, historians, scientists, poets and litterateurs, engineers, economists, administrators, artistes and social workers of proven ability and outstanding merit.... The nominated members have, undoubtedly, raised the standard of debates in the House by participating in the discussions on subjects of their interest and taking part in the debates on matters of national importance. This House has always heard them with rapt attention and has, unfailingly, benefited from their balanced views and thoughtful suggestions."

There is no doubt that the country would benefit from the vast experience both Tendulkar and Rekha gathered in their respective professional fields.

Veteran sports journalist Kishore Bhimani felt that perhaps Tendulkar did not get the correct briefing about his role.

"There seems to be a some confusion in the mind of Tendulkar. He is an iconic cricketer no doubt. But he should also manage his responsibilities as an MP. There are commercial commitments that he had attended so far in various places but this should be the top priority. Why accept nomination if you cannot fulfill the required obligation?" Bhimani asked.

Unhappy with the controversy over his prolonged absence from Rajya Sabha, Tendulkar today expressed displeasure with the media for allegedly discussing him too much and offered an explanation that his absence was due to a medical emergency in his family.

"My elder brother underwent bypass surgery and I had to be by his side. It was no disrespect to any institution," he said during a Commonwealth Games felicitation programme in New Delhi.

Former DMK leader Khusboo, however, did not agree with this argument.

"I respect what he said about his brother but that cannot explain his absence for a whole year. My daughter was in hospital with jaundice before the polls but I still campaigned without being an MP. My mother-in-law also got a pacemaker fixed but I was with her for the shortest possible time and soon back campaigning. I thought I should be loyal to my party," she said. Author Advaita Kala observed that the role of an MP is professional and it is their "job" to attend Parliament. "No one is denying their celebrity status. It is just that, as icons, they have let us down," Kala said.

Film journalist Bhawana Somaaya felt that the Congress party did not inform Rekha in detail about what her role would be as a Rajya Sabha MP. "I feel the Congress party did not explain her role well enough. She is not a public person. I was surprised when she accepted the nomination. Perhaps she may have understood it differently," Somaaya said.

Former cricket administrator Bimal Soni said it was not right to put all the blame on Tendulkar.

"In the first year of nomination, he was still playing cricket. This time, he went for Yuvraj Singh's charity dinner in England. He has every right to go on vacation for two months with his children. You cannot have everything from me just because I am an MP," Soni said, trying to defend Tendulkar.

Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha had a tough time defending his party as it was the Congress that got both the personalities nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

"Tendulkar had scored a century soon after his father expired in the World Cup. He is the same person even today and he should not be treated with callousness. Tendulkar need not be told about his responsibility. He just retired in November 2013. He must be winding up his commitments. Give him some time and he will have a stellar role in the House," Jha said.

India is looking forward to that moment.