Bhopal, March 3 Madhya Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Vishwas Sarang on Monday criticised Congress leader Shama Mohamed for the statement about Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma.
Sama Mohamed, who is a senior spokesperson of Congress, in a social media post, called Rohit Sharma "fat" and an "unimpressive" captain of the Indian cricket team.
"Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And of course the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!” Mohamed posted on social media.
She also questioned Sharma’s credentials, writing, "What is so world-class about him when compared to his predecessors? He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the captain of India."
Her remarks have sparked sharp reactions from the BJP, escalating into a heated political exchange in Madhya Pradesh as well.
Senior BJP leader Vishwas Sarang, who heads Sports and Youth Welfare Department of Madhya Pradesh government, hit hard at Sama Mohamed and the Congress party.
He said that such "irresponsible" statement should be condemned.
"Congress and opposition leaders have always tried to demoralise the group that raises the nation's pride and respect. Whether it's insulting the army or disrespecting soldiers, this has been the habit of Congress and opposition leaders," Sarang said talking to IANS here in Bhopal.
He further stated that those who can't even hold the bat and don't know cricket, are commenting and questioning those who fight and bring glory for India.
"Sama Mohamed's statement shows where the Congress has really gone. What kind of politics are they doing? It is really shameful," the BJP minister added.
The controversy erupted after Sharma was dismissed for 15 runs off 17 balls in India’s ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand on Sunday. However, India managed to put 249 runs on board and defended it with an accurate bowling performance.
India will face Australia in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday after they defeated New Zealand by 44 runs in the final group-stage fixture at the same venue on Sunday.
--IANS
pd/dan
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor