Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed is facing fresh scrutiny after an old social media post criticising Indian cricketer Virat Kohli resurfaced amid backlash over her recent remarks on Team India captain Rohit Sharma.
Old post on Virat Kohli resurfaces
In a 2018 post on X (formerly Twitter), Shama Mohamed had slammed Virat Kohli for his controversial response to a fan. At the time, Kohli had reacted to a fan’s comment that he preferred watching English and Australian batsmen over Indian players. Kohli responded by saying, “I don’t think you should live in India. Go and live somewhere else.” His remarks had sparked widespread criticism.
Reacting to the controversy back then, Mohamed had taken a dig at Kohli, pointing out contradictions in his statement. “Virat Kohli plays a British-invented game, earns crores endorsing foreign brands, got married in Italy, names Herschelle Gibbs as his favourite cricketer and Angelique Kerber as the best tennis player, but tells those who love foreign batsmen to leave India,” she had posted.
Now, in light of her recent remarks on Rohit Sharma, this old post has gone viral again, with social media users accusing her of having a problem with Indian cricketers in general. One user commented, “He (Kohli) has done so much for the country.” Another wrote, “So it’s not just one player, she seems to hate them all.”
Controversial remarks on Rohit Sharma
Shama Mohamed’s current controversy erupted after she made critical comments about Rohit Sharma’s fitness and leadership following India’s victory over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy semifinal.
Calling Sharma “fat for a sportsman,” she claimed he was “the most unimpressive captain India has ever had.” The Congress leader’s remarks were widely condemned, forcing her to delete the posts after being reprimanded by her party.
A Pakistan-based sports journalist countered her comments, defending Sharma as a “mighty effective and world-class performer.” Mohamed responded by questioning his achievements compared to past Indian cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli.
“He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the Captain of India,” she wrote, further fueling the controversy.
BJP and sports minister condemn remarks
The ruling BJP strongly criticised Mohamed’s comments, with party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari taking a swipe at Congress.
“Shame on Congress! Now they are going after the Indian Cricket Captain! Do they expect Rahul Gandhi to play cricket after failing in politics?” Bhandari said.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also condemned her remarks, calling them “deeply shameful” and “outright pathetic.”
“Such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that our sportspersons make to represent the country on the global stage,” he added.
Shama Mohamed defends herself
Facing intense backlash, Mohamed defended her remarks, claiming they were not body-shaming but a general comment on athlete fitness.
“This is my personal remark. Don’t bring my party into this. We can talk about someone’s fitness—what’s wrong with that? Since I am fit, I was only talking about his fitness. Why make such a big issue out of it?” she told reporters.
Meanwhile, the Congress distanced itself from her comments, stating that her views did not reflect the party’s position and confirming that she had been asked to delete her posts.
Also Read: Cong spokesperson's fat-shames Rohit Sharma, draws flak
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