Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya has slammed two Congress and Trinamool leaders whose negative comments on Rohit Sharma have hit the headlines, calling their “body shaming” of the Team India captain not only deeply shameful but also outright pathetic”.
In a post on X, the minister said, “Congress and TMC should leave sportspersons alone as they are fully capable of handling their professional lives… Such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that our sportspersons make to represent the country on the global stage”.
Last week during India vs New Zealand Champions Trophy clash, Congress’s Shama Mohamed said Rohit Sharma “is fat for a sportsman”.
“Need to lose weight! And ofcourse the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had,” she added.
She deleted the posts after her remarks triggered an attack from the BJP.
Amid the row, Trinamool Congress’s Sougata Ray said, “I heard that Rohit Sharma’s performance has been quite poor. He scored one century, but other than that, he gets out after scoring 2, 3, 4, or 5 runs. He shouldn’t be (on the team). India wins because the other players play well, but the captain doesn’t contribute.
The veteran leader added, “What Shama Mohamed has said is correct.”