In New Delhi, controversy arose over Congress leader Shama Mohamed’s criticism of Team India captain Rohit Sharma, whom she labeled “fat” after a match, prompting backlash. This criticism resurfaced alongside an old post where she condemned Virat Kohli for his comments on fans preferring foreign players. Kohli’s 2018 response to a fan’s preference for English and Australian batsmen drew ire from Mohamed, who highlighted contradictions in his lifestyle, such as endorsing foreign brands. The BJP and Union Sports Minister condemned Mohamed’s remarks, emphasizing the need to support athletes and not criticize their fitness publicly. She defended her comments as legitimate fitness concerns.
New Delhi:
In light of the ongoing uproar surrounding the harsh criticisms and fat-shaming directed at Team India captain Rohit Sharma, an old social media post by Congress leader Shama Mohamed regarding talismanic batter Virat Kohli has come back into focus.
Back in 2018, Ms Mohamed took to X (formerly Twitter) to lash out at Mr Kohli, the then Indian captain, for his statement suggesting that “those who prefer English and Australian batsmen should not live in India.”
Mr Kohli found himself in hot water after he read out messages from fans in November 2018 and responded, one of which claimed, “I enjoy watching English and Australian batsmen more than these Indian.” The fan also labeled him an “over-rated batsman.”
“If you feel that way, then I think you should live somewhere else. Why remain in our country while adoring other nations? I don’t mind if you don’t like me, but living in our country while favoring other things is concerning. Prioritize correctly,” Mr Kohli replied.
The Congress leader subsequently criticized the Indian batter for his comments.
“Virat Kohli plays a sport that originated in Britain, earns crores endorsing foreign brands, got married in Italy, names Herschelle Gibbs as his favorite cricketer, and considers Angelique Kerber the best tennis player, yet tells fans of foreign batsmen to leave India,” she remarked.
Her post has gone viral, with numerous users commenting that it seems she has a “problem with every Indian player.”
“He (Mr Kohli) has contributed immensely to the country,” a user noted in the comments section of her post on Monday.
“This isn’t just a one-sided view; it appears she dislikes all of them,” said another commentator.
Shama Mohamed’s “Fat” Remark On Rohit Sharma
Following India’s victory over New Zealand that secured their place in the Champions Trophy semifinal on Sunday, Shama Mohamed commented that Rohit Sharma, who will turn 38 next month, is “overweight for a sportsman.” Mr Sharma scored just 15 runs off 17 balls during the match.
“He needs to shed some pounds! Clearly, he’s the least impressive captain India has ever had!” she stated in her posts, which were later deleted after backlash from her party.
A sports journalist based in Pakistan countered her statements, labeling Mr Sharma as a “highly effective and world-class performer.”
She then questioned what was so “world-class” about him compared to predecessors such as Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri, and others.
“He’s a mediocre captain and player who got fortunate to be India’s captain,” she claimed.
BJP Slams Shama Mohamed
Shama Mohamed’s remarks also drew fire from the ruling BJP, which questioned whether the Congress party now expects Rahul Gandhi to take up cricket.
“Shame on Congress! Now they’re attacking the Indian Cricket Captain! Do they anticipate Rahul Gandhi to now play cricket after failing in Indian politics?” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari expressed.
“This is an affront to every patriot who supports the Indian cricket team unwaveringly. I challenge the Congress’s criticism,” he said.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also criticized Ms Mohamed, calling her comments “deeply shameful” and “utterly pathetic.”
“The comments from leaders of these parties (Congress and Trinamool Congress) indulging in body shaming and questioning an athlete’s role in the team are not just deeply shameful but utterly pathetic.”
“Such statements undermine the efforts and sacrifices our athletes make to represent the country on an international platform. Shama’s controversial post aimed at the Indian captain stirred a lot of responses,” he added.
Shama Mohamed Defends Remark On Rohit Sharma
Shama Mohamed stood by her comment, claiming her post was a general observation about a sportsperson’s fitness and did not constitute body-shaming.
“This is my personal opinion; don’t involve my party in this. Discussing someone’s fitness should not be an issue! As someone who is fit, I was merely referencing his fitness… why is there such a big fuss about it?” she told reporters later.
The Congress party stated that her posts do not represent the party’s stance and that she had been instructed to take them down.