Sam Pitroda, the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, has decided to step down from his position amid the ongoing controversy over his recent remarks on the diversity of India’s population.
Pitroda’s comments, in which he stated that people in the East of India look like Chinese, those in the South look like Africans and those in the North look like Arabs, were criticized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as being racist and insensitive.
In response to the backlash, Pitroda has decided to step down from his role as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, and his decision has been accepted by the party’s national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
This move comes as the Congress party has officially distanced itself from Pitroda’s remarks, stating that they do not reflect the party’s views.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attacked the Congress over its party leader Sam Pitroda’s comments over skin colour and asserted that the countrymen would not tolerate insults on the basis of skin colour.
Hitting out at top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Modi said he has now understood that the national party sought to defeat President Droupadi Murmu in the presidential poll as her “skin colour is dark”.
As Pitroda’s reported comments kicked up a row, Modi asked, “Will the ability of people be decided in my country on the basis of skin colour?”
“Who gave the permission to ‘shehzada’ for this game of skin colour,” he asked while addressing an election rally at Warangal in the state.
“I am angry today. If anyone abuses me, I don’t get angry. I can tolerate that. But, the philosopher of ‘shehzada’ gave such a big abuse which has filled me with anger,” Modi said.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi showing the Constitution in his election rallies, he asked whether those who dance by keeping Constitution on their head were insulting the countrymen on the basis of skin colour.
India would not tolerate insult to the countrymen on the basis of skin colour, he said, adding that the “shehzade” (Rahul Gandhi) must answer.
Modi also said he has now come to know as to why Congress had sought to defeat Murmu in the presidential elections in 2022 despite her having a great reputation.
“I came to know today that an uncle of ‘shehzada’ lives in America. The uncle is his philosopher and guide,” he said in an apparent reference to Sam Pitroda.
“Shehzada’s philosopher and guide uncle has opened a big secret. He said those whose skin colour is dark, they are all from Africa,” he said.
That means, he (Pitroda) has abused so many people of the country on the basis of skin colour, he alleged.
Whatever is the colour of skin, the countrymen worship Lord Sri Krishna whose skin colour was like all of us, Modi said.
(With excerpts from PTI)
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