In a rare and heartfelt moment, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has publicly apologised to two of Indian cricket’s most respected figures – MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev. The apology comes after years of controversial and often uncomfortable remarks made by his father, Yograj Singh, directed at the two legends.

Yuvraj Singh breaks silence with emotional apology

For the first time, Yuvraj chose to address the issue openly during a teaser for the ‘Sports Tak’ podcast, where he spoke candidly about how he feels hearing his father’s statements. His response was calm, honest, and aimed at bringing closure to a long-standing controversy.

“I would like to apologise to Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni,” Yuvraj said in the teaser video.

These words carry weight, especially considering Yuvraj’s own history with Dhoni. As a key player in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs, he shared some of his biggest career moments under Dhoni’s captaincy. Yet, despite his father’s repeated criticism of Dhoni over the years, Yuvraj had largely chosen to remain silent – until now.

His statement signals a clear attempt to separate his personal views from his father’s opinions while also acknowledging the discomfort the situation has created within the cricketing community.

Yuvraj’s apology goes beyond just words – it reflects a deeper effort to distance himself from a narrative that has followed him for years. Yograj Singh, a former cricketer and coach, has often made headlines for his outspoken and, at times, explosive comments about Dhoni and Kapil.

By admitting that he has spoken to his father privately about his behaviour, Yuvraj revealed that this has not been an easy situation for him to handle.

“I have told dad that it’s not OK.”

This simple yet powerful statement shows that Yuvraj has tried to address the issue within his family, even if it meant confronting uncomfortable truths. It also highlights his intention to move forward, focusing on respect and reconciliation rather than lingering controversies.

The shocking allegations made by Yograj Singh against MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev

The apology also comes in the backdrop of some shocking claims made by Yograj in the past. He has accused Dhoni of deliberately sidelining Yuvraj from the Indian team – allegations that were strongly denied by former chief selector Sandeep Patil.

Even more alarming were his statements about Kapil. Yograj once claimed that he had gone to Kapil’s house with a pistol during the 1980s, intending to harm him, but stopped himself because Kapil’s mother was present.

“I told him, ‘I want to put a bullet through your head, but I am not doing it because you have a very pious mother who is standing here.’ That was the moment I decided I would not play cricket – Yuvi will play.”

The statement shocked fans and the cricketing world alike, bringing renewed attention to a decades-old grievance.

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Kapil Dev, however, chose not to engage with the controversy and dismissed it casually, saying, “Kiski baatey kar rahe ho, kaun hai? (Who are you talking about, who is he?).“

Despite Yograj’s tone softening in recent times – even praising Dhoni’s longevity and fitness – the impact of his earlier remarks has lingered.

Yuvraj’s public apology, therefore, is being seen as a mature and much-needed step. It not only acknowledges the hurt caused but also reflects his desire to close this chapter with dignity. For fans, it’s a reminder of the values that defined Yuvraj’s career – honesty, courage, and respect.

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NEW DELHI: Politics in India seems to be in an era of freebies, where every party offers cash doles or concessions ahead of elections. Last year, the NDA offered Rs 10,000 to over 75 lakh women in Bihar just before the polls, which helped the alliance to achieve an overwhelming majority.Riding this trend, AIADMK and DMK have also placed their bets ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. In what the DMK calls the single largest financial aid extended to women in the state’s history, the government credited Rs 5,000 last month to 1.31 crore women under the ‘Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam’.

Meanwhile, AIADMK’s manifesto promises Rs 2,000 per month under the ‘Kula Vilakku Scheme’ for all ration cardholders, to be deposited directly into the bank accounts of female heads of households. The party also pledged a “free refrigerator” for every rice ration-card holder if it returns to power.Interestingly, this is not the first time parties have tried to lure voters with pre-poll gifts. Welfare politics in Tamil Nadu dates back to the Dravidian movement, which framed the state as an active instrument of social justice.

Chief minister from Congress K Kamraj can be seen as a pioneer of populist schemes in the state. He introduced Midday meal scheme along with free school uniforms for students.The scheme – designed to address malnutrition and encourage low-income families to send their children to school – significantly increased school enrolment and attendance, reducing dropout rates.Three seers of rice for Re 1In 1967, CN Annadurai promised three seers of rice for Re 1 through the state public distribution system (PDS). Though the scheme proved expensive and difficult for the government to sustain.After winning elections, Annadurai became the chief minister and implemented the scheme for sometime in a few pockets but later scrapped it owing to the financial burden. However, the move establsihed welfare as a political tool still used today.Noon meal scheme experimentAIADMK founder MG Ramachandran became chief minister in 1977 and extended welfare measures to improve school participation. The landmark noon meal scheme of 1982, later expanded, became one of the largest such programs globally, significantly boosting enrolment among children from poorer families.Subsequent governments led by M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa built on this model, adding benefits like free uniforms, footwear, and educational support.

By the late 1980s and 1990s, welfare schemes also included consumer goods, reaching a turning point in 2006 when the DMK promised free colour TVs, rice at Rs 2 per kg, cooking gas connections, free electricity, and loan waivers for farmers and weavers. The TV scheme alone costs around Rs 3,600 crore and reached nearly 45 lakh households.Jayalalitha’s Amma canteen schemeIn 2011, promises escalated into a bidding war. DMK offered a mixer or grinder, AIADMK promised both; when free laptops were proposed for college students, Jayalalithaa extended it to high school students. Additional offerings included uniforms, footwear, 20 kg of free rice per month, and free cable TV.After returning to power, Jayalalithaa expanded welfare further, distributing mixers, grinders, fans, laptops, textbooks, goats and cows for rural households, gold for mangalsutras, subsidised scooters, and free electricity up to a set limit.Jayalalitha’s government also launched the Amma Canteen scheme in 2013. These canteens were designed to provide nutritious, hygienic food at heavily discounted prices to the urban poor, daily wage labourers, and students. Despite political changes in the state, the canteens have largely continued to operate due to their immense popularity and the essential service they provide to the working class.By 2016, the DMK promised milk at Rs 7 per litre, while AIADMK countered with farm loan waivers, 100 units of free electricity, two-wheeler subsidies for women, and gold for brides-to-be.Evolution of the social service schemesNow, the social justice schemes seem to shift toward cash transfers and universal benefits. The DMK’s free bus travel for women, introduced in 2021, saw 4–5 crore trips monthly, improving mobility for low-income women.AIADMK now proposes extending such benefits to men and offering Rs 2,000 per month to female household heads.The fiscal question, however, cannot be ignored. Tamil Nadu is not a poor state, but it cannot perform fiscal magic. The state has long defended borrowing as productive and growth-linked—a rationale that can more easily support schemes like subsidised breakfast and bus travel than promises such as a refrigerator for every ration-card holder.Such schemes carry substantial fiscal implications. Reportedly, the monthly cash transfer alone could cost around Rs 36,000 crore annually, while Tamil Nadu’s total welfare expenditure already ranges between Rs 45,000–50,000 crore per year. The state’s outstanding debt exceeds Rs 8 lakh crore, with annual interest payments of roughly Rs 40,000 crore.According to veteran journalist Arun Ram it is important to distinguish between welfare measures and populist handouts. Programs like free bus travel for women, he explains, are more than just perks—they increase mobility, open up access to education and jobs, and empower women socially and economically. “Jayalalitha popularised Tamil Nadu’s Populism outside Tamil Nadu. But if you look at the history, it started with Annadurai. 1967 was a turning point in Tamil Nadu politics, not just because Dravidian Party DMK got into the power. It was also the beginning of the welfarism and freebies. Karunanidhi was the first one to offer Television sets. Then Jayalalitha offered grinders, goats, cycles and laptops,” he said.“We have to have a clear distinction between welfarism and populism. For example, he has introduced free bus travel for women across the state. So I think that is a welfare measure, not just a door, because you know mobility of women—historically, if you look at it, more women move around, commute, they find free transport, they find education, they find new jobs that leads to kind of a social raising, the social equities of women, and empowering women. You have to distinguish. In fact, Kamaraj was the first one to introduce a free meal in schools. Do you call it a freebie? No, I won’t call it, because there were so many children going empty, I mean hungry on an empty stomach, unable to study,” he added.“So, she changed everything. Of course, MGR brought it back. He claimed the legacy of that. But then it continues. So, Karunanidhi added two eggs to that meal. Stalin now introduced a breakfast. So all these things are good welfare measures, I would say, but giving a grinder or a goat, I don’t think that is kind of empowering people. But I think the Tamil Nadu electorate have been so pampered that they think it’s the birthright to get a few things in their kitchen, in their living room, free whenever an election comes. That’s a sad state of affairs,” he added.Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23 for all 234 constituencies, with counting scheduled for May 4.