Amid a widespread controversy over harsh criticism and fat-shaming of Team India captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohamed's old social media post on talismanic batter Virat Kohli has resurfaced.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) in 2018, Ms Mohamed had slammed Mr Kohli, the then Indian captain, for his "those who prefer English and Australian batsmen should not live in India" remark.
Mr Kohli was embroiled in controversy when he read out messages addressed to him by fans and responded to them in November 2018. In a message sent to him, the fan had said, "I enjoy watching English and Australian batsmen more than these Indian." The fan also called Mr Kohli an "over-rated batsman".
"I don't think you should live in India, go and live somewhere else. Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don't mind you not liking me, but I don't think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right," Mr Kohli responded.
The Congress leader had then called out the Indian batter for his remark.
"Virat Kohli plays a British invented game, makes crores from endorsing foreign brands, got married in Italy, names Hershelle Gibbs his favorite cricketer and Angelique Kerber the best tennis player, but tells those who love foreign batsmen to leave India," she said.
Her post has now gone viral, with many users saying that it looked like she has a "problem with every Indian player".
"He (Mr Kohli) has done so much for the country," a user wrote in the comment section of her post on Monday.
"So, it was not one one-sided arrow; rather she hates all of them," said another user.
Shama Mohamed's "Fat" Remark On Rohit Sharma
After India entered the Champions Trophy semifinal by defeating New Zealand on Sunday, Shama Mohamed said that Rohit Sharma, who turns 38 next month, is "fat for a sportsman". Mr Sharma was dismissed for 15 runs off 17 balls during the match.
"Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!" she said in her posts, which were deleted after she was reprimanded by her party.
A Pakistan-based sports journalist then countered her remarks and said Mr Sharma is a "mighty effective and world-class performer".
She then asked what was so "world-class about him" when compared to his predecessors like Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri and the rest.
"He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the Captain of India," she wrote.
BJP Slams Shama Mohamed
Shama Mohamed's remarks also invited criticism from the ruling BJP, which asked if the Congress now expects Rahul Gandhi to play cricket.
"Shame on Congress! Now they are going after the Indian Cricket Captain! Do they expect Rahul Gandhi to now play cricket after failing in Indian politics?" BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.
"It's an insult to every patriot who supports the Indian cricket team through thick and thin. I question the Congress's criticism," he said.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also attacked Ms Mohamed and termed her comments "deeply shameful" and "outright pathetic."
"Remarks made by leaders from these parties (Congress and Trinamool Congress), indulging in body shaming and questioning an athlete's place in the team, are not only deeply shameful but also outright pathetic."
"Such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that our sports persons make to represent the country on the global stage." Shama caused a stir on social media with her controversial post directed at the Indian captain," he added.
Shama Mohamed Defends Remark On Rohit Sharma
Shama Mohamed defended her comment, saying her post was a generic comment on the fitness of a sportsperson and did not amount to body-shaming.
"This is my personal remark, don't bring my party into this. We can speak about someone's fitness, what's the issue in that? Since I am fit, I was only talking about his fitness... why are you making such a big issue out of it?" she told reporters later.
The Congress said her posts did not reflect the party's position and that she had been asked to delete them.
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