The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday attacked Congress after INC spokesperson Shama Mohamed ‘fat-shamed’ Team India captain Rohit Sharma in a now-deleted X post.
Training its guns on the Congress, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “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!”
Mohamed, in a now-deleted X post, criticised Rohit Sharma during the India vs New Zealand Champions Trophy match on Sunday. She wrote in her post that Sharma is “fat for a sportsman.” “Need to lose weight! And ofcourse the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had,” she added.
Responding to a post praising Sharma, Mohamed asked what was so world-class about the current captain when compared to his predecessors like Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, M S Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri and the rest.
Soon after the row erupted over her remarks, the Congress party distanced itself from Mohamed’s comments and said that it does not reflect the party’s position.
“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…
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) March 3, 2025”
Pawan Khera, chairman of the party’s publicity department, posted on X, “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,” Khera added, after the BJP questioned Congress’ patriotism.
