Sam Pitroda stokes row over ‘people in East look like Chinese, South look like Africans’ remark

Days after sparking a political slugfest over his remarks on the ‘inheritance tax’, the chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, has once again found himself in soup as he reflected upon the vast diversity of India.

During an interview with The Statesman, while talking about the diversity of India, Sam Pitroda 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 Africa. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters.”

He further added that the people of India respect different languages, religion, food and customs which varies from region to region.

Also Read: ‘Dangerous problems disguised as solutions’: PM Modi on the idea of Inheritance Tax in India 

Pitroda was talking about how India is a shining example of democracy in the world and 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”.

The clip of his interview is being widely shared across social media platforms. His diversity analogy did not go down well with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, “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. Hamare desh ke bare mein thoda to samajh lo!”

“Sam Pitroda is Rahul Gandhi’s mentor. Listen to his racist and divisive jibes for Indians. Their whole (the Congress’) ideology is about divide and rule. It’s sickening to call fellow Indians Chinese and African. Shame on Congress!” Kangana Ranaut, BJP candidate from Mandi, said.

BJP leader CR Kesavan told ANI, “Vile and racist statement by the Shakuni of the Congress party, Sam Pitroda has demeaned and insulted every one of our 140 crore Indians today. This also exposes very clearly the bigoted & divisive mindset of the Congress leadership…What kind of a perverse and parochial mindset is this?…It reflects the diseased and divisive mindset of the Congress party. Congress party owes an explanation…First, they need to take action and expel Sam Pitroda from the Congress party…Rahul Gandhi, on behalf of Congress party, should come before the nation and seek an unconditional apology for this racist, bigoted mindset of Congress party…”

Row over Inheritance Tax remarks

A few weeks ago, Sam Pitroda faced backlash after he termed inheritance tax an “interesting idea”.

Also Read: ‘Loot zindagi ke sath bhi zindagi ke baad bhi’: PM Modi hits back at Congress over Sam Pitroda’s inheritance remark

During an interview, he reflected upon the idea of wealth re-distribution and said, “…In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair.”

A few hours after the comment was met with backlash, Pitroda issued clarification regarding inheritance tax, asserting that his remarks had been twisted to deflect attention from the core issues.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “It is unfortunate that what I said as an individual on inheritance tax in the US is twisted by Godi media to divert attention from what lies PM is spreading about Congress manifesto. PM’s comments Mangal Sutra & gold snatching is simply unreal.”

The Congress, on that occasion, had distanced itself from Pitroda’s comments, with senior communications figure Jairam Ramesh saying, “this does not mean Pitroda’s views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress”.