Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday incurred the wrath of a group against animal abuse, which lashed out at India's one day captain for recently sacrificing a goat at a Ranchi temple to celebrate Indian cricket team's tri-series triumph in Australia.
Angered by the goat sacrifice, the Indian wing of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has shot a letter to the Indian captain, asking him to refrain from such cruel acts in future.
Claiming that they have been flooded with calls and e-mails from people who were "horrified" by the incident, PETA India's chief functionary Anuradha Sawhney condemned the incident and reminded Dhoni that he was a role model to his innumerable fans.
"I hope that, upon reflection, you have come to regret your decision to tarnish your triumph with cruelty to animals," she wrote in the letter.
Asserting that such act has no place in Indian culture, Sawhney said along with other age-old practices like sati, child marriage and cast differentiation, sacrificing animal was banned in several states and Dhoni clearly did not adhere to the law by killing the goat.
"As a talented athlete, you are a role model for young people. We hope that you will consider the enormous influence you have over the children and in the future refrain from cruel acts that your young fans might be inspired to imitate," the letter read.
"Mr Dhoni will really need divine intervention now to repair his tarnished image," Sawhney remarked.