Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed's harsh criticism and fat-shaming of Team India captain Rohit Sharma has drawn a backlash on social media. In the comments section of her post on X, people have pointed to stats of India's performance under the leadership of Mr Sharma, often called Hitman for his batting prowess, to counter Ms Mohamed's remarks.
As the debate snowballed into a massive row, with the BJP questioning the Congress's patriotism, Ms Mohamed deleted all the posts.
The Congress has distanced itself from the remarks and said they do not reflect the party's position. Pawan Khera, chairman of the party's publicity department, said she had been asked to delete the social media posts. "Dr. Shama Mohammed, National Spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, made certain remarks about a cricketing legend that do not reflect the party's position. She has been asked to delete the concerned social media posts from X and has been advised to exercise greater caution in the future. The Indian National Congress holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not endorse any statements that undermine their legacy," Mr Khera posted.
In a post on X during India vs New Zealand Champions Trophy clash yesterday, Ms Mohamed said Rohit Sharma "is fat for a sportsman". "Need to lose weight! And ofcourse the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had," she added.
When Pakistan-based sports journalist countered the Congress leader's remarks and said Mr Sharma is a "mighty effective and world class performer", she replied, "What is so world class about him when compared to his predecessors like Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni, Kohli, Kapil dev, Shastri & the rest! He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the Captain of India."
The remark has also drawn a sharp retort 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 in reply to the Congress leader's post. Speaking to NDTV, Mr Bhandari said the Congress spokesperson's remark reflects the party's Emergency mindset. "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.
In a clarification later, Ms Mohamed compared Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli and said the latter always compliments other cricketers. "I just spoke in a generic manner. I fail to understand how in a democracy, we don't have the right to speak," she said.
Thirty-seven-year-old Rohit Sharma took over as Team India captain in 2023. Under his leadership, India won the T20 World Cup last year and two Asia Cup trophies earlier. He has a stellar record in IPL too. As Mumbai Indians captain, he has led the team to five IPL titles.
