Even as the BJP was trying to wash its hands of the controversy over tennis star Sania Mirza, on Friday it was turn of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to rake up the issue to corner theTelangana Government.
State VHP leaders Surinder Reddy and Keshava Raju condemned the appointment of Sania Mirza as “brand ambassador” of Telangana. They alleged that this was part of the policy of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to appease one particular community. “Ever since the TRS Government was formed, it was giving preference to only one community,” Surinder Reddy said.
This new attack came a day after the State BJP floor leader K laxman’s criticism on the issue had created a nationwide furore. laxman had questioned choice of Sania Mirza on the grounds that Sania, married to Pakistani cricket player Shoaib Malik was “daughter-in-law of Pakistan” and she was not born in Hyderabad but in Mumbai.
Sania Mirza, who was stung by the attack, reacted strongly and emotionally. In fact, she broke down during an interview to a news channel. “How many times do I have to prove my Indian-ness”, she asked. Earlier in a statement she had declared that she was an Indian and will remain an Indian till her last breath.
While Sania received overwhelming support from cross sections of society including many prominent personalities including singer Asha Bhonsle, Kiran Bedi and even senior BJP leader and Minister Prakash Javadekar, State BJP president G Kishan Reddy came to defence of his party colleague K laxman.
He said that laxman was not opposed to Sania Mirza’s appointment as the brand ambassador but was arguing for the students who were deprived of scholarships by setting 1956 as cut-off date to prove their nativity.