With India in the middle of what is considered the world’s largest democratic electoral process, a storm of controversy has emerged over racially charged comments made by Sam Pitroda, a prominent figure associated with the Congress party, currently the largest opposition party in the country.
Pitroda, 82, came under fire for how he recently described India’s racial diversity, saying: “People in the east look like Chinese, people in the west look like Arabs, people in the north look like, maybe, white, and people in the south look like Africans.”
The awkward analogy, apparently intended to highlight the country’s diverse population of 1.5 billion, was met with widespread condemnation for its racial overtones, a particularly sensitive issue in India.
Indian Overseas Congress Chairperson, Sam Pitroda, attends a conference at the Brussels Press Club on September 8, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. Pitroda sparked controversy in India with recent comments about diversity in the country, labeled as racist by his political rivals.
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The immediate response from his party was to distance itself from Pitroda’s comments. Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, expressed disapproval on social media, saying: “The analogies drawn by Mr. Sam Pitroda are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies.”
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
On the other side, political leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party led by the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seized on the comments to criticize Pitroda and, by extension, the Congress party.
Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s Finance Minister, slammed Pitroda and also attacked Rahul Gandhi, the leader of Congress and a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, one of the most important political dynasties in India.
“I am from South India. I look Indian! My team has enthusiastic members from northeast India. They look Indian! My colleagues from west India look Indian! But, for the racist who is the mentor of @RahulGandhi, we all look African, Chinese, Arab, and white! Thanks for revealing your mindset and your attitude,” Sitharaman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Soon after the clip of the remark went viral on Indian social media, Prime Minister Modi lashed out at Pitroda during a political rally. “I am very angry today… I am very angry with the remark made by Sam Pitroda,” he said. “We will not accept this racist mentality.”
Modi, in power since 2014, also said Pitroda’s comments represent the views of the “Shehzade,” a derogatory term which Modi frequently uses to refer to Gandhi, his biggest rival in the election.
Congress political leader Rahul Gandhi has been the target of attacks by BJP leaders after Pitroda’s comments.
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“The country will not tolerate the disrespect of our countrymen on the basis of the color of their skin,” the prime minister said during a rally in Telangana.
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also took issue with Pitroda’s comments, saying “he doesn’t understand the country” and is the reason why Rahul Gandhi “speaks nonsense.”
This is not the first time Pitroda has created a storm for his party with his off-the-cuff remarks. In an earlier speech, he expressed support for the inheritance tax, taking inspiration from a system used in some U.S. states. In April, he said that India would benefit from a system where the children of someone who died would receive only a portion of their wealth, with a significant portion to be acquired by the government.
Modi attacked that plan, claiming it would redistribute the wealth of Hindus to Muslims, the largest religious minority in India and a demographic that Modi has been accused of routinely disparaging.
The current elections, underway until June, will determine the Prime Minister and the central government’s composition for the next five years. The election pits Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party against Gandhi’s Congress party, among other regional and national factions. BJP is favored to win, but there are signs the results could be closer that expected.
Sam Pitroda currently serves as the head of the Indian Overseas Congress and primarily resides in Chicago. His role involves coordinating and managing the activities of the party’s overseas chapters, and he is often engaged in outreach activities aimed at the Indian diaspora.
Known for his earlier contributions to India’s telecommunications revolution, Pitroda continues to be involved in various technology initiatives and public policy discussions. He has more than 100 patents in his name.
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