'Unfortunate and unacceptable': Congress distances itself from Sam Pitroda's 'racist' remarks

Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda

Congress on May 8 distanced itself from Indian Overseas Congress' president Sam Pitroda's latest controversial remarks on how Indians look, which has given more fodder to the Bharatiya Janata Party amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

In a recent interview with The Statesman, Pitroda said India is a diverse country and it has survived 75 years in a very happy environment. “We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people in east look like Chinese, people in west look like Arab, people in north look like white, and maybe people on the south look like Africans,” Pitroda said during the interview.

The grand old party issued a statement on May 8 and distanced itself from Pitroda’s remarks. Jairam Ramesh, Congress communication in-charge said the statements are “unfortunate and unacceptable”.

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“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.”

However, the saffron party leaders wasted no time in using Pitroda’s remarks to attack the grand old party.

“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 (Understand a little about our country)!” the Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X.

BJP’s Karnataka leader Tejasvi Surya said the comments were not different from what Churchill had said about India.

“Congress has always been the OG-breaking India party. This commentary is no different from what Churchill had said about us. No wonder is the way he is after being mentored by him,” Surya said.

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Kangana Ranaut, BJP's candidate from Mandi in Himachal, also attacked the main opposition party for the racist comments.

"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!" the Bollywood actor said while sharing a clip of the interview on X.

Earlier, Pitroda had courted controversy after he said India should explore the idea of inheritance tax. Congress had clarified and said Pitroda’s comments does not reflect party's views.