India, Oct. 22 -- Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rahman Barq on Wednesday said he would raise the issue of cricketer Sarfaraz Khan's non-selection in the Parliament's Standing Committee for Sports if it was found that his being a Muslim played a role in the decision.

Barq's statement came amid a political row sparked by Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed's remarks linking Sarfaraz Khan's exclusion from recent cricket squads to his "surname".

Weighing in on the controversy, Barq said, "It should not happen that if someone's performance is good, then removing them solely on the basis of religion would obviously be a violation of our constitutional rights. If this happens, I am also a member of the Standing Committee of Parliament for...