Shama Mohamed’s Post On Rohit Sharma Yet Another Embarrassment That Has Left Congress Scrambling For Cover
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The Congress doesn’t have a formal social media policy. The problem is that many Congress leaders with their social media posts have landed the party in trouble and have either been asked to delete it, or have left the party scrambling for cover.
Congress leader Pawan Khera and Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed | File Image
Congress Spokesperson Shama Mohammed is a dentist by profession but her latest post has become too much for the Congress to chew. Despite a stern warning from the party not to repeat this mistake and asking her to delete her post calling Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma ‘fat’, the controversy has not died down.
There are two problems with her post on X. One, that she fat-shamed Rohit Sharma by saying he was “too fat to be the captain”. The BJP and social media users have since been asking if looks matter more than capability. The second issue is with her saying that he was not competent to be the captain, and that there were others who were more deserving. The Congress found both these statements to be an issue as it only helps the BJP project the party as being entitled and elitist. Not just this, many from Congress asked, “What about Rahul Gandhi? Has he been successful? Does he deserve to captain the Congress?”
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.She has been asked to delete the concerned social media posts from X and has been advised to exercise greater…
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) March 3, 2025
The Congress does not have a formal social media policy but its members are expected to be sensitive to public opinion while posting. The problem is that many Congress leaders with their social media posts have landed the party in trouble and have either been asked to delete it, or have left the party scrambling for cover. Most recently, the INC Kerala X handle picked on actor Preity Zinta claiming she got her loans waived off by writing posts in favour of the BJP on her social media handle. They were strongly rebutted by her and the BJP and while INC Kerala did not delete it nor backed off, the damage was done.
Similar gaffes have been posts put up by Congress leader Sam Pitroda when he said Indians in the East looked like Chinese and those in South looked like Africans. Pitroda was removed as Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, but was soon reinstated. Similar issues have been faced by the social media head of the Congress, Supriya Shrinate, who had made a derogatory comment on actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who made her poll debut in 2024 from Mandi. Shrinate had punned on the word Mandi and questioned her worth.
Shama Mohamed was brought into the Congress for ticking many boxes right, being a firebrand professional, who comes from Kerala and a Muslim. But her recent gaffe has brought embarrassment for the party even as the party has distanced itself. A senior Congress leader told News18, “It’s like the red traffic light. Everyone knows one should not cross the line.” Shama Mohammed’s post has flagged off this debate and warning signal to the Congress leaders yet again, given the battle of perception it is fighting against the BJP.
