Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Friday flayed tennis star Sania Mirza for her decision to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, saying "had Sania's heart been Indian, it wouldn't have beaten for a Pakistani."
"Henceforth, Sania will not remain an Indian. Had her heart been Indian, it
wouldn't have beaten for a Pakistani. If
she wished to play for India, she should have chosen an Indian life partner," 84-year-old Thackeray said in an editorial in
party mouthpiece
Saamana.
"More than victories on tennis court, Sania became famous for her tight clothes, fashion and love affairs,"
Thackeray alleged.
"More than her play, people's attention was on her mannerisms," he claimed.
The Shiv Sena supremo alleged that "for Shoaib, India is an enemy, not only in sports arena but also in the battlefield.
"We have heard that Shoaib has many affairs in India and has promised many girls he will marry them," he said.
Thackeray also expressed surprise over the alacrity with which Sania's family members were granted Pakistani visas.
"Getting a Pakistani visa is tough even for a singer like Lata Mangeshkar," he said.
23-year-old Sania, who is the most successful woman tennis player from the sub-continent, will settle down with
28-year-old Shoaib in Dubai after their marriage on April 15 in Hyderabad.