New Delhi: The Congress party has taken a step back from the contentious remarks made by its Indian Overseas chief, Sam Pitroda, regarding India’s diversity, which sparked sharp criticism from BJP leaders.
In response to Pitroda’s comments, party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh stated in a X post (formerly knows as Twitter), “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.”
Pitroda’s remarks surfaced during an interview with The Statesman. In a video circulating online, he can be heard saying, “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.”
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In response to Pitroda’s contentious statements, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed in a social media post, “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! (Please try to understand our country at least a little!)”
Notably, Pitroda had previously stirred controversy with his comments on inheritance tax, drawing similar reactions from both the BJP and the Congress. On that occasion, the Congress had distanced itself from his remarks, asserting that it would not support the implementation of such a measure.
In this regard, economist Gautam Sen remarks that in the USA, there is no such thing as ‘Inheritance Tax’.
The BJP had seized upon Pitroda’s statements, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting that the Congress aimed to impose higher taxes and hinder individuals from passing on their hard-earned wealth to their children.
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Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha Election is underway in India, and amidst this, Pitroda’s comments have sparked a fresh controversy. Political experts opine that the ruling BJP-led NDA government will use this momentum in their favor in the ongoing Lok Sabha Election.
Regarding Sam Pitroda’s alleged derogatory comments, BJP Leader Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi strongly criticized and stated that the Congress has crossed its limit. It seems to have surpassed the ongoing election campaign agenda.
