The row over Sam Pitroda’s ‘inheritance tax’ remark amid election season has not even settled yet but the Indian Overseas Congress head stirred new trouble for Congress with his racist remark, giving the BJP an opportunity to lambast the grand old party.
Pitroda, who is often considered a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, said people in India’s East look like Chinese and those in the South like Africans.
Following Pitroda’s statement, Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states in the Northeast — Assam and Manipur — attacked the Congress leader and demanded an apology from the Congress.
Manipur CM N Biren Singh said that Congress has a hidden agenda to divide India on religious grounds and blamed the opposition party for the situation in the state, where over 100 people were killed and thousands left homeless in the violence since May last year.
Reacting to Pitroda’s remark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at Rahul Gandhi and said India will not tolerate this insult.
“One Shehjade uncle lives in America. When there is any confusion, he takes opinion with his uncle. His uncle said those whose skin is black color are African. He called our Indian people African. Now I understand why they keep insulting our president Droupdi Murmu, just because her skin colour is black they thought she is African and they should defeat her. Shehjade’s uncle Sam Pitroda is his 3rd Umpire,” Modi said at a rally in Telangana’s Warrangal.
“I am very angry today , if someone abuse me, I can tolerate it but today, Shehjade’s philosopher had crossed limit. Will skin color now decide our ability? They are insulting people of India on basis of skin color. I will not tolerate insult of my fellow Indians,” he added.
However, Congress disassociated the party from Pitroda’s comments after receiving major backlash from the saffron camp and termed the remarks of its member as “most unfortunate and unacceptable”.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said analogies drawn by Mr. Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable.
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.— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 8, 2024
Sam Pitroda Sparks Controversy Again
Highlighting how India has developed itself as a shining example of democracy in the world, Pitroda said that the people of the country have “survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people are living together”.
“We could hold together a country as diverse as India — where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arabs, people on the North look like maybe Whites and people in South India look like Africans. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters,” said Pitroda, during an interview with The Statesman.
BJP Attacks Congress For ‘Divisive Mindset’
Attacking the Congress leader for his comments, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X and wrote, “Sam bhai (Brother), 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!”
Manipur CM N Biren Singh also hit back at Sam Pitroda for his comments on the appearance of northeastern and demanded an apology from the Congress party. “Very unfortunate, utter nonsense. We all live together in India. We are all Indians. I feel very very sad and condemn this kind of comment by Congress.”
“They should apologise. The Northeast is part of India. Who is he? Why did he say so? Congress should apologise,” Singh reiterated accusing the grand old party for the violence in Manipur. “They have a hidden agenda to divide India on religious grounds. What’s happening in Manipur is also because of them.”
Reacting to Sam Pitroda’s remark, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who is an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said, “I am not surprised, but I am very angry. This is not a personal opinion of Sam Pitroda. Congress takes all ideas from him, so Congress should not come out and say this is his personal comment. Rahul Gandhi and Pitroda had foreign thinking, they want to end our culture.”
BJP leader Tejasvi Surya also took a jibe at the Congress terming it “the OG breaking India party” following the racist remarks of its leader. “This commentary is no different from what Churchill had said about us. No wonder RG is the way he is after being mentored by him!” he added.
Terming Pitroda ‘Shakuni of the Congress party’, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan Sam attacked the grand old party and said that the racist remark of the Indian Overseas Congress chief has exposed the party’s “dangerous and divisive mindset”.
The BJP leader while talking to CNN-News18 said, “The comments of the Indian Overseas Congress head in his recent interview is the biggest slur ever that anyone has ever made about Indians.”
Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna told CNN-News18, “This is always the fault of the Congress party. They speak without knowing the heritage of the Northeast. They should be punished. They should come here, and live with us. See how BJP has understood us so well.”
Stay updated with live coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more.