‘Unacceptable’: Congress distances itself from Sam Pitroda’s racist remark
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on Pitroda, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that they will not accept this racist mentality
New Delhi: The Congress party on Wednesday dissociated itself from the alleged racist remarks made by its Indian Overseas chief Sam Pitroda and termed it as ‘unacceptable and unfortunate’.
“The analogies drawn by Mr Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies”, Congress leader and spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said on X.
Recently, in an interview with The Statesman, Pitroda, while discussing India’s status as a democratic example where people with different appearances live in harmony, said, “We could hold together a country as diverse as India – where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africans. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters.”
Also Read: Sam Pitroda row: PM Modi says India won’t tolerate disrespect on basis of skin colour
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on Pitroda, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that they will not accept this racist mentality.
“I can tolerate it when abuses are hurled at me, but not when they are hurled at my people. Can we decide a person’s merit based on skin colour? Who permitted the Prince to look down on my people like that? We will not accept this racist mentality!” said PM Modi.
The comment also attracted the BJP’s ire with the Assam and Manipur chief ministers slamming the Congress leader.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in a post on X said, “Sam bhai, I am from the northeast and I look like an Indian. We are a diverse country – we may look different but we are all one. Hamare desh ke bare mein thoda to samajh lo!”
“I condemn Congress leader Sam Pitroida’s racist comment against the people of northeast,” Manipur CM N Biren Singh said.
He added, that Congress has always tried to divide India with its divide-and-rule policy. “But they must know that NE has been a part of India and will always be.”
Also Read: Sam Pitroda’s ‘racist’ row: Congress leader’s 5 past controversial remarks
Demanding an apology from Pitroda, Singh said that such a mockery of India’s diversity is highly unacceptable.
Last month, Pitroda stoked a controversy while speaking about the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in the US and said these are issues that need to be discussed. He had described the inheritance tax in the US as an “interesting law”, however, his remarks were faced with criticism from PM Modi who claimed that Congress would snatch properties left behind by the people for their children if they come to power.
In June 2023, amid anticipation for the grand opening of the Ram Mandir, Pitroda sparked controversy by asserting that temples wouldn’t address India’s pressing issues such as unemployment, inflation, education, and health.
In May 2019, Pitroda drew ire by dismissively remarking “hua to hua” (so what) when questioned about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
