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BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia on Monday criticized Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed for her remarks about Team India captain Rohit Sharma, calling it “unfortunate” that such comments came from a person in a responsible position. His reaction came after Mohamed posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Sharma needed to “lose weight” and labeled him the country’s “most unimpressive captain.”
The Congress leader’s statement, which was later deleted, sparked widespread backlash, with many accusing her of body shaming the cricketer. Addressing the controversy, Saikia expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s very unfortunate that this kind of remark comes from such a person who holds a responsible post, especially at a crucial time when India is playing an ICC tournament and preparing for the semi-finals.”
“Unfortunate that this kind of remarks come from such a person”: BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia on Shama Mohamed’s comments
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Mohamed later attempted to clarify her stance, arguing that her tweet was meant as a “generic” comment about an athlete’s fitness and was not intended as body shaming. Speaking to ANI, 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.”
Criticisms emerged
However, her clarification did little to quell the controversy. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticized her comments, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla pointing out the Congress party’s electoral failures while defending Sharma’s record as a captain. “Those who have lost 90 elections under the captaincy of Rahul Gandhi are calling Rohit Sharma unimpressive! I guess six ducks in Delhi and 90 election losses is impressive, but winning the T20 World Cup isn’t! Rohit has a brilliant track record as captain, by the way!” Poonawalla wrote in a post on X.
Congress party itself distanced itself from Mohamed’s comments, with MP Rajani Patil stating that the party would seek a response from her. “I personally, and the party as well, do not approve of body shaming anyone. Talking this way about a sportsperson who represents the country is not right. The party will seek a response from her on this,” Patil said.
India, under Sharma’s leadership, recently secured a 44-run victory over New Zealand in Dubai, finishing at the top of Group A in the ICC Champions Trophy. The team is now gearing up for the semi-finals, with Saikia’s comments reflecting the BCCI’s firm stance against what they view as unnecessary criticism of their captain during a crucial tournament.
(With ANI Inputs)
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