New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy over the fat-shaming of cricketer Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohamed’s old post about batter Virat Kohli has resurfaced.
The X post is from 2018 in which Shama had hit out at Kohli, the then Indian captain, for his “those who prefer English and Australian batsmen should not live in India” remark.
Kohli was at the center of controversy in November 2018 when he read out messages from fans and responded to them. One message sent to him stated, “I enjoy watching English and Australian batsmen more than the Indian ones,” and also referred to Kohli as an “over-rated batsman”.
In a sharp response, Kohli had said, “I don’t think you should live in India, go and live somewhere else. Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don’t mind you not liking me, but I don’t think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right.”
Shama had then reacted to the Indian batsman’s remark. She wrote, “Virat Kohli plays a British invented game, makes crores from endorsing foreign brands, got married in Italy, names Hershelle Gibbs his favorite cricketer and Angelique Kerber the best tennis player, but tells those who love foreign batsmen to leave India.”
The old post on Kohli has gone viral now, with many users pointing out that it seems Shama has a “problem with every Indian player”.
“He (Kohli) has done so much for the country,” a user commented on the post on Monday. Another user wrote, “So, it was not one one-sided arrow; rather she hates all of them.”
Shama shares old Kangana Ranaut post
Amid criticism for fat-shaming Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma, Shama Mohamed on Monday responded by resurfacing an old post from Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. In the post, Ranaut used derogatory language towards cricketers.
Shama Mohamed captioned her post, “What does @mansukhmandviya have to say to @KanganaTeam! #JustAsking”. It followed sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya reaction to her remarks on Rohit Sharma’s fitness.
Reacting to Shama’s remarks, which found support from Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Mansukh Madaviya said, “Congress and TMC should leave sportspersons alone as they are fully capable of handling their professional lives.”
He said, “Remarks made by leaders from these parties, indulging in body shaming and questioning an athlete’s place in the team, are not only deeply shameful but also outright pathetic. Such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that our sportspersons make to represent the country on the global stage.”
Reacting to Mandaviya, Shama shared the screenshot of a post by Ranaut in response to Rohit Sharma’s tweet back in 2021. During the farmer’s protest in 2021, Rohit Sharma made a tweet stating, “India has always been stronger when we all stand together and finding a solution is the need of the hour. Our farmers play an important role in our nation’s well being and I am sure everyone will play their roles to find a solution TOGETHER,” he had said. In response, Ranaut shared a post in which she appeared to use derogatory language.
