Congress spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed stirred controversy after criticising Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, calling him “overweight” and “the most unimpressive captain India has ever had.” Her remarks came after Rohit’s 15-run dismissal during India’s Champions Trophy match against New Zealand, a match India ultimately won by 44 runs.
Following intense backlash on social media, including sharp responses from BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, Dr Mohamed deleted the post. In her now-deleted post, Dr Mohamed wrote: “Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Needs to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!”
BJP’s sharp counterattack – Compares Rahul to Rohit
Poonawalla accused Congress of targeting the Indian cricket team, claiming that those who once stood against the nation are now attacking its sporting heroes. “The party that claims to run a ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’ (shop of love) is in reality running a ‘Nafrat ke Bhaijaan’ (messengers of hate),” Poonawalla remarked.
Poonawalla didn’t hold back, mocking Congress for questioning Rohit’s leadership while failing to reflect on their own electoral losses.
“Those who lost 90 elections under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership are now calling Rohit Sharma an unimpressive captain! Apparently, losing 90 elections and scoring six ducks in Delhi is ‘impressive,’ but winning the T20 World Cup isn’t. Let’s not forget, Rohit has one of the most successful captaincy records in Indian cricket history.”
He added, “Congress has a history of opposing everything that represents India’s success — be it the army, our institutions, or now our cricket team.”
Poonawalla further called out the body-shaming element in Dr Mohamed’s comment, stating, “This is not just body-shaming, it’s proof that Congress has abandoned its ‘shop of love’ slogan and embraced being the ‘messengers of hate’ or rather, the ‘messengers of insult.’”
Drawing a sharp contrast, Poonawalla said, “They lost 90 elections under Rahul Gandhi and yet have the audacity to question a captain who led India to 100 wins in 140 matches, including a T20 World Cup victory.”
Congress tries damage control
In response to the growing backlash, Congress moved to distance itself from the controversy. “Dr Shama Mohamed’s remarks about a cricketing legend do not reflect the party’s official position. She has been asked to delete the posts and has been advised to exercise greater caution moving forward,” said Pawan Khera, chairman of the party’s media and publicity department.
He added, “The Congress party deeply respects the contributions of India’s sporting icons and does not endorse any statements that diminish their legacy.”
Social media reacts to Shama Mohamed’s remarks
Beyond BJP, social media users also lashed out at Congress for the unnecessary personal attack. “For a ‘fat’ sportsman, Rohit Sharma has more victories than Rahul Gandhi could ever dream of. And with that same body, he commands the respect of his team and the entire nation,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “Rahul Gandhi may have the gym muscles, but where are the electoral wins?” A third user highlighted Rohit’s achievements: “Rohit Sharma boasts a 72% win record across formats. Rahul Gandhi? 6% in elections. Enough said.”
Even some who aren’t Rohit fans agreed the remark was out of line. “You don’t have to love him, but at least don’t insult a player who’s brought so much glory to Indian cricket,” another user noted.