Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has lashed out at Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed for her remarks on Rohit Sharma, calling them “shameful and pathetic.”
During India’s Champions Trophy Group A clash against New Zealand on Sunday, the Congress spokesperson took to X (formerly Twitter) to blatantly call the Indian captain “fat.”
“Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Needs to lose weight! And, of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had,” Shama said in a post on X.
Her comments triggered widespread backlash, leading to a major controversy. As a result, the Congress party directed Mohamed to delete her social media post on the Indian skipper.
The sports minister responded strongly, urging political leaders to refrain from targeting athletes.
“Congress and TMC should leave sportspersons alone as they are fully capable of handling their professional lives. Remarks made by leaders from these parties, indulging in body shaming and questioning an athlete’s place in the team, are not only deeply shameful but also outright pathetic. Such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that our sportspersons make to represent the country on the global stage,” Mandaviya said in a post on X.
So far in the ongoing tournament, Rohit remains the only top-order Indian batter yet to score a half-century, while Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer have been in top form. The 37-year-old has accumulated 76 runs across three innings at an average of 25.33 and a strike rate of 111.76, with a highest score of 68.
Riding on Varun Chakaravarthy’s five-wicket haul, India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs and finished at the top of Group A. They will now face Australia in the first semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday, while New Zealand will take on South Africa in the other semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday.
Former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad also echoed the sports minister’s sentiments, calling Shama’s remarks “pathetic” and urging respect for Rohit’s contributions to Indian cricket.
“Rohit has maintained great dignity as a captain, led us to a T20 World Cup win eight months ago, and in the middle of an ICC tournament, body-shaming him is absolutely pathetic and uncalled for. There should be some respect for a person who has achieved so much through his skills and leadership over the years,” Prasad said on X.
