'Stop dividing India on communal lines...': BJP reacts after Shama Mohamed's remark on Sarfaraz Khan

Shehzad Poonawalla

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed’s remark on cricketer Sarfaraz Khan and asked her to "stop dividing India on communal lines."

"This lady and her party are sick. After calling Rohit Sharma fat, she and her party now want to divide even our cricket team on communal lines? Desh ka partition karke mann nahi bhara kya?" he wrote.

In the same post, he further said, "In the same team, Mohammad Siraj and Khaleel Ahmed will play! Stop dividing India on communal lines and caste lines."

Later, in another X post, he added, "Keep your dirty political communal agenda out of cricket, Shama."

What did Shama Mohamed say?

Shama Mohamed questioned the exclusion of cricketer Sarfaraz Khan from the national cricket team and asked whether his omission from the national squad was based on religious grounds. "Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname?" she tweeted.

Sarfaraz last represented India in the home series against New Zealand but didn’t get an opportunity to feature in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

Despite a remarkable physical transformation, he was overlooked for the England tour and later ignored for the home series against the West Indies. The Mumbai batter’s exclusion from the India A squad for the South Africa A series further puzzled fans who have long advocated for his selection.

On Tuesday, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi also voiced concern over the snub, questioning why Sarfaraz continues to be left out of the India A team despite his consistent run in domestic cricket.

Meanwhile, Mohsin Raza, former Minorities Welfare Minister of Uttar Pradesh, lashed out at critics, urging them not to politicise selection calls in Indian cricket.

"There’s no need to politicise this. These so-called Muslim leaders are playing with cricketers’ futures," he said, taking a dig at Congress and Owaisi. "Shami plays, Siraj plays — this is unfair," he was quoted as saying by India Today.