New Delhi: After Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda’s comments on India’s “diversity” went viral, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to task and demanded an explanation for the remarks.
At a rally in Telangana, Modi said, “Shehzade, aapko jawaab dena padega (Prince, you’ll have to give an answer)”. He added that the country would not tolerate “disrespect to my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour and Modi will never tolerate this”.
Modi has been referring to Rahul Gandhi as shehzada (prince) in his public speeches.
The Congress, too, distanced itself on Wednesday from remarks the made by Pitroda over the facial features of people in different parts of India in an attempt to buttress his point on the country’s diversity.
In an interview with The Statesman last week, the party’s overseas head said people in eastern India look like the “Chinese”, those in the west look like “Arabs”, those in the north like “white” people and those in the south like people from “Africa”.
After a clip went viral, Congress general secretary incharge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the analogies drawn by Pitroda in the podcast to illustrate India’s diversity “are most unfortunate and unacceptable”. “The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies,” he posted on X.
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
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Pitroda made the comparisons while talking about how India was a “shining example of democracy in the world”. “We have survived for 75 years in a very happy environment where people live together, leaving a few fights here and there,” he said, adding, “We hold a country together as diverse as India where in the east people look like Chinese, people in west look like Arab, people in north look like white and in south look like Africa (sic). Doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters.”
His remarks have drawn a sharp rebuke from the ruling BJP, with its Mandi candidate Kangana Ranaut labelling Pitroda a “racist”. She posted on X: “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!”
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! pic.twitter.com/WDSYAuFbht
— Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) May 8, 2024
Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad took the opportunity to prod Gandhi over Pitroda’s remarks. “It is evident what Sam Pitroda thinks about India. He is a failure, he doesn’t understand the country. He is an adviser of Rahul Gandhi and now I know why Rahul Gandhi speaks such nonsense. What should I say over this, it is [the] frustration of defeat,” he said, speaking to the media.
This is the second controversy in as many months that has forced the Congress to disassociate itself from remarks made by the head of its overseas wing.
Last month, the party found itself in a muddle after Pitroda, in another interview, cited the example of inheritance tax in some US states to suggest that Indians, too, should debate the issue. In an interview with ANI, he said, “In America… if one has $100 million worth of wealth, when he dies, he can only transfer probably 45 percent to his children… 55 percent is grabbed by the government.”
Pitroda felt this was an “interesting law”, adding: “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.”
The comments prompted attacks from the BJP, with the prime minister decrying the statement from election podiums, while the Congress distanced itself, saying it was Pitroda’s “personal opinion”.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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