BJP on Sam Pitroda's racist remark: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda over his 'racist' remarks, where he compared 'South Indians with Africans, East with Chinese, West look like Arabs and North people with White'.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the Congress leader's statement, emphasising the diversity of India, stating that "we are a diverse country and we may look different but we are all one." Taking to X, he Sarma said. "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!"
'Racist and divisive jibes'
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, also accused Pitroda of making 'racist' and 'divisive' comments. "Sam Pitroda is Rahul Gandhi's mentor. Listen to his racist and divisive jibes for Indians. Their whole (the Congress') ideology is about divide and rule. It's sickening to call fellow Indians Chinese and African. Shame on Congress!" she said.
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla called Pitroda's comment 'shocking, despicable and disgusting'. "He is the mentor of Rahul Gandhi. It is the word, spirit, vocabulary and ideology of Rahul Gandhi... First, they divided on the basis of caste, religion and language. Now, they are dividing Indian vs. Indian. And to make a comment like Indians are like Chinese, isn't it a racist comment? Isn't it insulting and objectionable ? It shows 'Congress ki Mohabbat ki Dukan actually has 'nafrat' and 'racism ka saman'..." he said.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar termed Pitroda's remark as "shameless". "This is how Rahul Gandhi has been taught to divide up and see India by his tutor and mentor -Sam Pitroda," he said.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya alleged that the statement by Pitroda is no different from what Churchill had said about Indians. "Congress has always been the OG-breaking India party. This commentary is no different from what Churchill had said about us. No wonder RG is the way he is after being mentored by him!" Surya said.
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said this is the frustration of defeat and they neither understand India nor its heritage. "It becomes clear again and again that what does Sam Pitroda understand about India. It is clear that he is a failure. He doesn't understand the country. He is Rahul Gandhi's advisor. I can now understand why Rahul Gandhi speaks nonsense...This is the frustration of defeat. They neither understand India nor its heritage," he added.
Sam Pitroda's new controversy
Speaking about how India is a shining example of democracy in the world, Pitroda said that the people of the country have "survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving a few fights here and there". He added, "We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on east look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like white and maybe people on South look like Africans."
He further added that the people of India respect different languages, religion, food and customs which varies from region to region. "That's the India that I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises little bit," he said.
