Congress leader calls Rohit Sharma 'fat for a sportsman', 'most unimpressive captain'
Triggers outrage
Mumbai: Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed has sparked controversy with her sharp criticism of Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, calling him "fat for a sportsman" and labeling him "the most unimpressive captain India has ever had."
Her now-deleted post on X came after Sharma was dismissed for just 15 runs off 17 balls during India's match against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy. She wrote, "@ImRo45 is fat for a sportsman! Needs to lose weight! And of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had." She went on to call him a "mediocre captain and player" who got "lucky" to be India's captain.
The remarks triggered outrage across social media and political circles, with BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari criticising the Congress, stating, "Shame on Congress! Now they are going after the Indian cricket captain! Do they expect Rahul Gandhi to now play cricket after failing in Indian politics?"
BJP leader Radhika Khera also condemned Shama's comments, stating that Congress had a history of undermining athletes. “This is the same Congress that humiliated athletes for decades, denied them recognition, and now dares to mock a cricketing legend? The party that thrives on nepotism is lecturing a self-made champion?” Khera wrote on X.
Following the backlash, Shama clarified that her tweet was a "generic" comment about a sportsperson's fitness rather than body-shaming. “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 the right. What is wrong in saying? It is a democracy,” she told news agency ANI.
In response to the controversy, the Congress party distanced itself from Shama’s remarks. Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera issued a statement stating, "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."
He emphasised that the Indian National Congress holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not endorse any statements that undermine their legacy.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
