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Sam Pitroda resigns from Congress post after doing it again — what did he say
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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Summary
Pitroda’s resignation from the post of chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress comes after his remarks about ethnic and racial identities in a podcast stirred a political storm, offering PM Modi some more fodder for his campaign speeches.
Sam Pitroda has resigned as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress following his controversial remarks, confirmed senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.
“Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision,” Ramesh stated.
Pitroda’s resignation comes after his remarks about ethnic and racial identities in a podcast stirred a political storm, leading the BJP to label the Congress as “racist.”
During the podcast, Pitroda’s choice of words to describe various ethnic groups triggered criticism, prompting the Congress to quickly distance itself from his remarks, terming them “most unfortunate and unacceptable.”
“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 White, and people in South India look like Africans. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters,” Indian Overseas Congress leader Sam Pitorda said in an interview with The Statesman.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amidst campaigning for the fourth phase of polls, criticised Pitroda’s remarks, stating that people will not tolerate insults based on skin colour.
At rallies in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Modi expressed anger over racial profiling and linked Congress’ Opposition to Droupadi Murmu’s presidential bid to this mindset.
Responding to the controversy, Jairam Ramesh stated, “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.” Ramesh also announced Pitroda’s resignation, which was accepted by the Congress president.
The BJP, however, dismissed Congress’s disassociation with Pitroda’s comments, citing his history of making “insulting and demeaning” remarks, including those on terrorism and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Pitroda’s comments have become the centre of a debate for a second time within a month. In April, he had suggested inheritance tax as one way to redistribute wealth to the poorer sections of the Indian society. However, the Congress manifesto did not promise an inheritance tax.
Pitroda’s previous controversial remarks, such as “hua to hua” (so what) in response to questions about the 1984 communal violence and “it happens all the time” reference to the Pulwama terror attack, have also caused significant uproar.
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