BJP distances itself from a party leader's statement on Sania

NEW DELHI: BJP today distanced itself from a party leader's statement on tennis star Sania Mirza calling her a 'daughter-in-law' of Pakistan, saying it was not BJP's position.

"This is not BJP's position," senior BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said.

"Sania Mirza is a pride of India. Sania Mirza has an international standing on her own... So, we have no objection. I am sure she is pride of India. She is brand ambassador of India," he told reporters here.

A controversy has erupted over Telangana government appointing 27-year-old Sania as the state's brand ambassador with Telangana BJP leader K Laxman describing her as "non-local" and "daughter-in-law" of Pakistan.

"Sania was born in Maharashtra and settled in Hyderabad only later and, hence, is a non-local," Laxman, the leader of BJP in the state assembly, had said.

He dubbed her as "daughter-in-law" of Pakistan, as she is married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.

Describing Sania as the "daughter of Hyderabad", Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had on Tuesday appointed her as the state's brand ambassador and handed over a cheque of Rs one crore.