The Congress party distanced itself from the comments made by Shama Mohamed after facing backlash
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed stirred fresh trouble by “body shaming” cricket captain Rohit Sharma. As her remarks sparked national outrage, the Congress immediately distanced itself from her remarks, saying they did not reflect the party position. She tweeted: “Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!" she tweeted. However, she was forced to delete her tweet after facing massive backlash online and from the BJP.
The head of the party’s publicity department, Mr Pawan Khera, said Ms Mohammed has been asked to delete her remarks from X and has been cautioned. He said the Congress spokesperson should "not have made such remarks against a cricketing legend". However, her remarks also drew criticism from INDIA bloc ally Shiv Sena (UBT), with its leader Priyanka Chaturvedi coming out in support of Sharma. She said: “Not an avid cricket fan however even with my limited interest in the game, I can say that Rohit Sharma -- with extra pounds of weight or without it, has led the India team to great heights. It is his work and commitment to it that matters...”
The Opposition BJP lost no time in pouncing at the opportunity to beat the Congress with the stick offered by Ms Mohammed. BJP leader and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said: "It is very shameful that an official spokesperson of the Congress is giving such a statement.” He went on to say that Congress leaders feel that "only one person is fit for everything and that is Rahul Gandhi”. The BJP also played the nationalist card, with Mr Sirsa saying:"They (Congress) are so against the country that today they are using abusive language against our country's cricket captain.”
The BCCI called the remarks derogatory. Its vice-president and Congress MP Rajiv Shukla defended Rohit Sharma, asserting that the India captain was among the team's fittest cricketers. The cricket board strongly condemned the post by Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohammed. Rajiv Shukla said that Shama Mohammed’s remarks did not reflect the stance of the Congress Party. “It is her personal views and tweets. The party has nothing to do with it. Rohit is fit and doing well. Our team is doing well under his leadership. He is a great player,” Mr Shukla added.
Even after deleting her tweet, Ms Shama tried to justify her stand. “It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. It was not body-shaming. I always believed a sportsperson should be fit, and I felt he was a bit overweight, so I just tweeted about that. I have been attacked for no reason. When I compared him with previous captains, I put in a statement. I have the right. What is wrong in saying? It is a democracy," she said.
