Hyderabad: Congress leader Sam Pitroda on Wednesday resigned as the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress after his controversial remarks spurred the BJP to label the party "racist".
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has accepted Pitroda's decision. "Mr Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision," Ramesh said in his post.
The development came after Sam Pitroda, in an attempt to emphasise the diversity of India, said people in "East look like Chinese and in the south look like Africans", a comment BJP latched on to, with PM Narendra Modi leading the attack.
"People in the East look Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North like, maybe, White, and people in the South look like African," Pitroda said in an interview to The Statesman.
Reacting sharply to the remarks, Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday said that the people of the country will not tolerate insults on the basis of the colour of the skin.
Addressing a rally in Warangal, PM Modi said, "'Shehzade aapko jawaab dena padega' (The prince will have to answer). My country will not tolerate the disrespect of my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour; Modi will never tolerate this."
"I was thinking a lot that (President) Droupadi Murmu who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of Adivasi family, then why is Congress trying so hard to defeat her but today I got to know the reason. I got to know that there is an uncle in America who is the philosophical guide of 'Shehzada' and just like the third umpire in cricket this 'Shehzada' takes advice from the third umpire," PM Modi further said.
"This philosophical uncle said that those who have black skin are from Africa. This means that you are abusing several people of the country on the basis of their skin colour. Where will they take the country? No matter what skin colour we have, we are the people who worship Lord Krishna," PM added.
The remarks by Sam Pitroda
Speaking about how India is a shining example of democracy in the world, Pitroda, who is often considered a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, said that the people of the country have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving a few fights here and there.
In an interview to 'The Statesman', Pitroda said "We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on east look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like white and maybe people on South look like Africans."
"That's the India that I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises little bit," Pitroda added.
Congress on Sam Pitroda's Comment
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh posted on X to say that the analogies drawn by Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India's diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. "The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies" he said.
BJP Leaders on Sam Pitroda
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has hit back on Pitroda over his remarks. "Sam bhai, I am from the North East and I look like an Indian. We are a diverse country - we may look different but we are all one. Understand a little about our country," Sarma said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar termed Pitroda's remark as "Shameless". "This is how Rahul Gandhi has been taught to divide up and see India by his tutor and mentor -Sam Pitroda," Chandrasekhar said.
BJP candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, Kangana Ranaut also took to X and said that Congress' whole ideology is about divide and rule. "Sam Pitroda is Rahul Gandhi's mentor. Listen to his racist & divisive jibes for Indians. Their whole ideology is about divide & rule. It's sickening to call fellow Indians Chinese and African. Shame on Congress!" Ranaut said.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also termed Pitroda's comment 'shocking'. "He is the mentor of Rahul Gandhi. It is the word, spirit, vocabulary and ideology of Rahul Gandhi... First, they divided on the basis of caste, religion and language. Now, they are dividing Indian vs. Indian. And to make a comment like Indians are like Chinese, isn't it a racist comment? Isn't it insulting and objectionable ? It shows 'Congress ki Mohabbat ki Dukan actually has 'nafrat' and 'racism ka saman'...," Poonawalla said.
Pitroda had earlier courted controversy when he had advocated an inheritance tax-like law in the country. However, the Congress had officially distanced itself from Pitroda's comments saying that they did not reflect the view of the party at all times. (with ANI inputs)
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