Congress supporter Tehseen Poonawalla has strongly criticised the party over its handling of Shama Mohamed’s remarks on Rohit Sharma, warning that such incidents are damaging its public perception. “This has badly hurt the Congress. Have some common sense: Cricket is more than a passion or even a religion in India. Cricket unites everyone!” he said in a post on X.
Condemning Mohamed’s now-deleted post on X, where she called Sharma “fat for a sportsman” and “the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had,” Poonawalla called the remarks inappropriate. “Rohit Sharma is a fine cricketer and a dignified captain who has led India with grace and skill. It does not behove anyone to body shame another human being—such remarks are beneath the dignity of discourse,” he stated.
He further criticised the Congress' ideological positioning, saying, “Unfortunately, the party that I vote for, support, and want to win the elections is increasingly perceived as too woke, too left, and an apologist for certain ideologies while appearing to resent India’s ethos. The Congress risks alienating many with this arrogant tone.”
The backlash against Mohamed's comments has come from multiple quarters, including former cricketers. Venkatesh Prasad called the remarks “absolutely pathetic and uncalled for” and defended Sharma’s credentials. “Rohit has maintained great dignity as a captain, led us to a T20 WC win 8 months back, and in the middle of an ICC tournament, body-shaming him is absolutely pathetic,” Prasad said.
Former cricketer Atul Wassan also dismissed Mohamed’s remarks, stating, “He (Rohit) is a World Cup-winning captain, and currently the team is playing the ICC Champions Trophy...Her statement should not be taken seriously as she doesn’t understand match fitness and what kind of captain he is.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia condemned the comments as “baseless and derogatory,” saying, “When the team is playing in the Champions Trophy and doing well, this is the time when one needs to support Team India.”
Following the backlash, the Congress distanced itself from Mohamed’s remarks, with media and publicity head Pawan Khera stating, “Dr. Shama Mohamed made certain remarks about a cricketing legend that do not reflect the party’s position.” The party directed her to delete the post and exercise greater caution in the future.