Sania Mirza lacks credentials to be Telangana brand ambassador: BJP

HYDERABAD: Telangana BJP leader K Laxman today flayed the TRS government's decision to appoint tennis star Sania Mirza as brand ambassador of the newly carved-out state, terming her as "daughter-in-law" of Pakistan and questioning her credentials for the honour.

Sania was born in Maharashtra and settled in Hyderabad only later and, hence, is a "non-local", he told reporters here and sought to dub her as "daughter-in-law" of Pakistan, pointing out that she was married to that country's cricketer Shoaib Malik.

The 27-year-old tennis player had never participated in agitation for a separate state of Telangana, said Laxman who is leader of BJP in Telangana legislative assembly.

Laxman accused the government of taking the step with an eye on the minority community votes in upcoming elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

Handing over a grant of Rs 1 crore here yesterday, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao appointed Sania as brand ambassador of Telangana and described her as a daughter of Hyderabad.