Congress Spokesperson Shama Mohamed Faces Backlash Over Remarks on Rohit Sharma:

NEW DELHI: A prominent Congress figure, Shama Mohamed, found herself involved in a controversy on Monday after her comments toward Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket captain, where she appeared to cross the line regarding fat shaming in her comments towards him.

The Congress leader took to X where she posted calling the Indian captain “fat” and a “mediocre captain” while she posted.

“He is too fat for a sportsman! He needs to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!” is what she put out in a now deleted post.

Mohamed later rationalized her statement and claimed it was not body shaming as she had exercised her right to free speech in a democratic society.

"It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. I stand by my assertion. My beliefs have always been that athletes ought to be fit and because of that, I believe he was overweight so I tweeted it. I have been baselessly assaulted," she remarked.

“While making comparisons with previous captains, I said he is one of them. I surely have the right. It is a democracy,” she continued.

Who is Shama Mohamed?

Shama is from Kunnur in Kerala. She was appointed as spokesperson for the Congress in July 2015.

On Shama’s LinkedIn page, she claims to be a dentist and to have previously practiced journalism prior to her entry into politics.

Her primary school education was at an Indian school in Kuwait, and she later went on to complete her Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Yenepoya Dental College in Mangaluru.

In December of 2018, she was appointed by the party as their national media panellist.

Congress latest reprimand Shama

To Congress Shama, on the other hand, was not in the best standing after making the comments, and the party subsequently instructed her to delete the offending posts and be more careful going forward.

“Dr. Shama Mohammed, a national spokesperson for Indian National Congress, made certain comments about a cricketing great which do not represent the position of the party. She has been directed to delete the posts from X and, in future, be more careful,” Khera said.

He added that the party regards sporting legends with utmost respect, and does not tolerate comments that seek to disparage their stature.

Congress MP Rajani Patil stated that Mohamed will be questioned regarding the issue. He added, “I as well as the party will not endorse body shaming, and talking about a sportsperson who represents the country in these terms is inappropriate. The party will definitely seek an explanation from her.”