BHOPAL, 26 December 2006 — Former Indian cricketer and noted commentator Ravi Shastri has come under fire from a religious Hindu group after he was seen eating biltong (dried meat) during the first Test match at Johannesburg between India and South Africa. A leader of the saffron brigade has filed a criminal case against him in an Indore court. During lunch on the third day of the Test match on Sunday, Shastri was seen eating biltong live on TV saying, “Sorry dad, I know I am a Brahmin. But I am going to dig into this.” “His actions have hurt the sentiments of millions of Hindus in India. People look up to celebrities and Shastri set a bad example by eating meat in public,” said a spokesman for the brigade. Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association’s secretary Sanjay Jagdale said that the association has nothing to do with Shastri who was present during the match as a commentator.
