 "Who is Shama Mohamed, Congress spokesperson who fat-shamed Rohit Sharma?")
Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed is facing criticism over her comments about Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma.
She was heavily criticised for fat-shaming Sharma.
Mohamed’s remarks came after Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 15 runs off 17 balls during a **Champions Trophy match** against New Zealand on Sunday.
She has now deleted the posts on X, shared late on Sunday night, which drew criticism from many, including BJP leaders.
The Congress leader's remarks drew sharp reactions, with the BJP stating that a party that had lost “90 elections” under Rahul Gandhi was calling Rohit Sharma’s captaincy unimpressive.
What did she say? And what do we know about her?
Here’s a look:
Shama Mohamed’s remarks on Rohit Sharma
In a post on X, Mohamed criticised Sharma’s physique, calling him “fat” and suggesting he needed to lose weight.
Mohamed, in the **now-deleted post** , said, Sharma is “fat for a sportsman”. “Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!” she said.
Responding to a post praising Sharma, Mohamed questioned what was “world-class” about the current captain compared to his predecessors, including Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, and Ravi Shastri.
Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said that Mohamed’s remarks do not reflect the party’s position.
“Dr. Shama Mohammed, National Spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, made certain remarks about a cricketing legend that do not reflect the party’s position."
Later, speaking to ANI, Mohamed defended her statement.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts#WATCH | On her comment on Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohammed says, "It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. It was not body-shaming. I always believed a sportsperson should be fit, and I felt he was a bit overweight, so I… pic.twitter.com/OBiLk84Mjh
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2025
She said, “It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. 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. I have been attacked for no reason. When I compared him with previous captains, I put in a statement. I have the right. What is wrong in saying? It is a democracy…”
Who is Shama Mohamed: Explained in 7 points
1. Mohamed serves as a national spokesperson and media panellist for the Congress party.
2. Born on May 17, 1973, in Cherukallayi near New Mahe, Kannur, Kerala, she is also a practising dentist.
3. She completed her schooling in Kuwait before returning to India, where she pursued a Bachelor of Dental Sciences at Yenepoya University, Mangaluru.
4. Before entering politics, she briefly worked as a journalist with Zee TV.
5. Mohamed became a member of the Congress party in 2015 and was appointed its national spokesperson in July that year.
6. In December 2018, she was given the role of national media panellist for the party.
7. Mohamed is married and a mother of two.
Shama Mohamed’s past controversies
In April last year, Kerala police registered a case against Shama Mohamed over an alleged hate speech during an election campaign in the Kozhikode Lok Sabha constituency.
According to the police, while addressing a public meeting in the Kuttikkattoor area, she allegedly stated that if the BJP returned to power at the Centre, places of worship belonging to minority communities would be at risk.
The Medical College police said she was booked under IPC Section 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot–if rioting be committed–if not committed) and Section 125 of the Representation of People’s Act (promoting enmity between classes in connection with election). The case was registered based on a complaint forwarded by the Election Commission.
Mohamed said that she had no intention of hurting religious sentiments and stood by her statement.
How BJP reacted to Congress leader’s remarks
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla criticised the Congress over Shama Mohamed’s remarks.
“Those who have lost 90 elections under captaincy of Rahul Gandhi are calling captaincy of Rohit Sharma unimpressive! I guess 6 ducks in Delhi and 90 election losses is impressive but winning T20 World Cup isn’t! Rohit has a brilliant track record as captain by the way!" he posted on X.
BJP leader and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the remarks, calling them shameful.
VIDEO | Here's what Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) said on Congress leader Shama Mohamed's remark on cricket captain Rohit Sharma.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 3, 2025
"It is very shameful that an official spokesperson of the Congress is giving such a statement. This is Congress' statement. They… pic.twitter.com/QYNLlokwHU
He said, “It is very shameful that an official spokesperson of the Congress is giving such a statement. This is Congress’ statement. They feel that only one person is fit for everything and that is Rahul Gandhi.”
With inputs from agencies
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