After Shama Mohamed, a Congress spokesperson, publicly criticised and fat-shamed Rohit Sharma on Sunday, her previous post about Virat Kohli reappeared.
New Delhi:
Shama Mohamed, a Congress activist, has revived his old social media post about talismanic batter Virat Kohli amid the intense criticism and fat-shaming of Team India captain Rohit Sharma.
Ms. Mohamed criticised the then-Indian captain, Mr. Kohli, for saying that “those who prefer English and Australian batsmen should not live in India” in a 2018 post on X (previously Twitter).
In November 2018, Mr. Kohli became mired in controversy after reading and replying to fan messages. The fan wrote, “I prefer watching English and Australian batsmen over these Indians,” in a message to him. “Over-rated batsman” is another term the fan used to describe Mr. Kohli.
“I think you should move to another country instead of staying in India. Why do you love other countries and live in our country? If you don’t like me, that’s fine, but I don’t think you should live in our nation and enjoy other things. “Adjust your priorities,” Mr. Kohli said.
After that, the Congress leader criticised the Indian batter for his comment.
“Virat Kohli plays a British invented game, makes crores from endorsing foreign brands, got married in Italy, names Hershelle Gibbs his favourite cricketer and Angelique Kerber the best tennis player, but tells those who love foreign batsmen to leave India
Many others commented that it appeared she had a “problem with every Indian player” in her message, which has since gone viral.
“He (Mr Kohli) has done so much for the country,” one person said while reading her message on Monday.
Another person commented, “She hates all of them, so it wasn’t just one one-sided arrow.”
The “Fat” Remark Shama Mohamed Made About Rohit Sharma
Shama Mohamed, who turns 38 next month, claimed that Rohit Sharma is “fat for a sportsman” after India defeated New Zealand on Sunday to go to the Champions Trophy semifinals. At the end of the game, Mr. Sharma was out for 15 runs off of 17 balls.
“I have to reduce my weight! She posted, “And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!” before her posts were removed after receiving criticism from her party.
Then, a sports writer from Pakistan refuted her claims, stating that Mr. Sharma is a “mighty effective and world-class performer”.
She then questioned what made him so “world-class” in comparison to his forebears, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and the others.
“He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the Captain of India.
The BJP Attacks Shama Mohamed
In response to Shama Mohamed’s comments, the ruling BJP questioned whether Rahul Gandhi is now expected to play cricket by the Congress.
“Congress should be ashamed! The Indian cricket captain is the target of their latest attack! Do they think Rahul Gandhi, who failed in Indian politics, will now play cricket? According to Pradeep Bhandari, a BJP spokeswoman.
“It is an insult to all Indian cricket fans who have stood by their team through thick and thin. He questioned the Congress’s critique.
Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister of Sports, also criticised Ms. Mohamed, calling her remarks “outright pathetic” and “deeply shameful.”
“Remarks made by leaders from these parties (Congress and Trinamool Congress), 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 sports persons make to represent the country on the global stage.” He continued, “Shama’s contentious post against the Indian skipper created a commotion on social media.
Shama Mohamed Explains Her Remark About Rohit Sharma.
Shama Mohamed justified her post by claiming that it was a general remark about a sportsperson’s level of fitness and that it did not constitute body-shaming.
“Don’t involve my party in this; this is just my personal statement. What’s wrong with us discussing someone’s fitness level? Why are you making such a big deal out of it when I was just discussing his fitness and I am in good shape.” She later informed reporters.
According to the Congress, she was requested to remove her posts since they did not represent the party’s stance.
