New Delhi/IBNS, Jan. 3 -- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has defended Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman's participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) amid mounting political backlash over his signing by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said sport should not be conflated with political or communal tensions.

Tharoor stressed that Mustafizur Rahman should not be targeted for events beyond his control.

"He is a cricketer and has nothing to do with any of these things. He has not been accused of hate speech or of condoning violence. Mixing the two is simply not fair," he said.

The Congress MP also cautioned against isolating neighbouring countries.

The controversy eru...