Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Bollywood star Salman Khan backed tennis player Sania Mirza on Thursday regarding the controversy that erupted over a BJP leader calling her a daughter-in-law of Pakistan and saying that she was misfit to be the brand ambassador of the newly created state Telangana.
The actor posted the following on the micro-blogging site Twitter -
Wah yaarrr! sania mirza , kamaal karti ho . Like the spirit , issse bolteh hain kick ass . .
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) July 24, 2014
At the same time Khan appeared to also promote his film `Kick` which is due to release this weekend.
It stars Jacqueline Fernandez in the female lead.
Sania responded to Salman`s tweet by posting that he always made her smile.
@BeingSalmanKhan :) u always make me smile..true friend ..love
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
Meanwhile, the comments by K Laxman, who branded the 27-year- old tennis star as a `non-local` while questioning her appointment by the Telangana government, were roundly condemned by political parties who stressed that she is `our lady who belongs to Hyderabad`.
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.
"Sania was born in Maharashtra and settled in Hyderabad only later and, hence, is a non-local," Laxman, leader of BJP in the Telangana assembly, said in Hyderabad, PTI reported.
He also dubbed her as `daughter-in-law` of Pakistan, as she is married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
Sania, on her part, slammed attempts to tag her as an outsider and said her family had its roots in Hyderabad.
"My family belongs to Hyderabad for more than a century and I strongly condemn any attempts by any person, whosoever, to brand me an outsider," she said in a statement.
"It hurts me that so much precious time of prominent politicians and the media is being wasted on a petty issue of my being appointed the Brand Ambassador of my State of Telangana," Sania said.
"I am married to Mr Shoaib Malik, who is from Pakistan. I am an Indian, who will remain an Indian until the end of my life," she said.
Sania also posted a series of tweets on micro-blogging site Twitter regarding the controversy -
It hurts me that so much precious time of prominent politicians and the media is being wasted on a petty issue of my being-
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
appointed the Brand Ambassador of my State of Telangana.
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
1. I am married to Mr. Shoaib Malik, who is from Pakistan. I am an Indian, who will remain an Indian until the end of my life.
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
My forefathers have lived in Hyderabad for more than a century. My grandfather, Mr. Mohammed Zaffer Mirza started his career as an Engineer-
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
- in Nizam's Railways in Hyderabad in 1948 and died in his ancestral home in Hyderabad.
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
So, my family belongs to Hyderabad for more than a century and I strongly condemn any attempts by any person, whosoever, to brand me-
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
- an outsider.
I hope this clears all doubts and issues.
SANIA MIRZA
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) July 24, 2014
With PTI inputs
