Congress Leader Fat-Shames Rohit Sharma, Party On Damage Control

Congress was left red-faced after its National Spokesperson Shama Mohamed stirred controversy with her remarks on Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, calling him "fat for a sportsperson" and the "most unimpressive" captain in India's history. As the post triggered widespread backlash, the party quickly intervened, asking her to delete it. The post was later taken down.

"Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!" Shama now-deleted post read. Her comments drew immediate backlash, particularly from BJP leaders, BCCI and cricket fans. Responding to a user who called Sharma a "world-class player," Mohamed dismissed the claim, questioning his legacy compared to Indian cricketing greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Kapil Dev.

"What is so world-class about him when compared to his predecessors? He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the captain of India," she wrote.

The BJP swiftly condemned Mohamed's remarks, accusing Congress of "body-shaming" and disrespecting a World Cup winner. BJP leader Radhika Khera, who broke ties with the Congress and joined the BJP, accused her former party of having "humiliated athletes for decades".

Shama Mohamed defended her remark, stating that her tweet was a general observation about an athlete's fitness rather than an instance of body shaming. "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," she said, pushing back against criticism.

Congress distanced itself from Shama Mohamed's remark, saying that the party "holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard". Congress leader Pawan Khera said the party had asked Shama Mohamed to delete her post and "advised her to exercise greater caution in the future".

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia called the remarks 'unfortunate', saying making such comments in the middle of an ICC event could have demoralising effect on the morale of a cricketer. BCCI Vice President and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla, clarifies that Shama views were personal and not representative of the party. He emphasised that Rohit is fit, performing well, and leading the team successfully, calling him a great player.