Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said that cricket player Rohit Sharma has taken the Indian team to great heights “with extra pounds of weight or without it.” This came after Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed called Rohit Sharma “fat.” The member of the Rajya Sabha wished Mr. Sharma and the Indian team luck in their quest to win the Champions Trophy. Tomorrow, the Men in Blue play Australia in the first semi-final.
Not an avid cricket fan however even with my limited interest in the game, I can say that Rohit Sharma – with extra pounds of weight or without it, has led India team to great heights. It is his work and commitment to it that matters. Win the trophy, Champion!
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) March 3, 2025
“I’m not a huge cricket fan, but even while I’m not into the game, I can say that Rohit Sharma has led the India team to great heights, with or without adding weight.” What counts is his work and how much he cares about it. She said in a post on X, “Win the trophy, Champion.”
There was a big uproar when Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said mean things about Mr. Sharma, who is known as “Hitman” for how well he bats.
Yesterday, Ms. Mohamed wrote on X that Rohit Sharma “is fat for a sportsman” during the Champions Trophy match between India and New Zealand. “I need to lose weight!” She also said, “And of course the least impressive Captain India has ever had.”
A sports journalist from Pakistan responded to the Congress leader’s comments by saying that Mr. Sharma is a “mighty effective and world class performer.” The Congress leader asked the journalist what was so world class about Mr. Sharma when compared to Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni, Kohli, Kapil dev, Shastri, and others who came before him. The fact that he is leader of India is a lucky accident because he is not a great leader or player.
The comments caused a huge fight, with the BJP questioning the patriotism of the Congress. Ms. Mohamed later removed all the posts.
The Congress has denied the comments and said they don’t represent the views of the party. According to Pawan Khera, who is in charge of the party’s marketing, she was told to delete the social media posts. “Dr. Shama Mohammed, who is the National Spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, said some things about a famous cricket player that don’t reflect the views of the party,” She has been told to be more careful in the future and has been asked to delete the posts from X that are of concern. “The Indian National Congress values the contributions of sports legends very highly and does not agree with any statements that hurt their reputation,” Mr. Khera wrote.
The BJP, which is in power, sharply responded by asking the Congress if they now expect Rahul Gandhi to play cricket. “Congress is a shame!” They are now after the Indian Cricket Captain! “Do they think Rahul Gandhi will now play cricket after failing in Indian politics?” asked Pradeep Bhandari, a spokesman for the BJP in response to the Congress leader’s post.
