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Sam Pitroda quits Congress post following racist remarks likening South Indians to Africans
Known for his contributions to the telecom revolution in India, he resigned from his chairmanship post of the Indian Overseas Congress.
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Sam Pitroda in a video posted on his YouTube channel / Screengrab YouTube/@SamPitrodaa
Engineer and entrepreneur Sam Pitroda, best known for his role in revolutionizing the telecommunications industry in India, has kicked up a storm with his recent remarks in which he likened South Indians to the Africans among other such comparisons.
“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 Whites and people in South India look like Africans. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters,” Pitroda was quoted as saying by The Statesman.
The remarks generated strong opposing reactions from various political leaders representing the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following which Pitroda resigned from the chairmanship post of the Indian Overseas Congress.
"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," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh confirmed on X.
“I was personally hurt and shocked by such a statement, we are not taking this lightly,” said Indian Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, originally from Arunachal Pradesh.
“I can tolerate it when abuses are hurled at me, but not when they are hurled at my people. We will not accept this racist mentality,” said the Prime Minister.
Pitroda played an important role in India's telecom revolution through the 1980s and 1990s. He was an advisor to former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi during his tenure.
Overseas BJP supporters condemn Pitroda’s remarks
Pitroda’s remarks have not gown down well with the overseas supporters of the ruling BJP.
Dr Adapa Prasad, president of the ofbjp-USA outfit, said, “It’s a shame on Mr Pitroda for him to label the people of his ancestral land in a reprehensible racism. Pitroda, being a technocrat and who has been living in the USA, could think and talk as a racist.”
Dr Prasad continued, “The Indian diaspora across the globe is disgusted with this racist line of thinking and the Indian people will teach lesson to a xenophobic Congress party.”
Dr Vasudev Patel, general secretary of the outfit, said, “His disgusting remarks mirror the regressive thinking of Congress party and its apex leadership.”
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Sam Patel
2024-05-09 00:00:00
American Sam is not a US citizen. OK for him to be an adviser but to be an office bearer in another country's political party is no different that interference by a foreigner. Imagine the Republicans forming an American Overseas GOP and appointing a non-US citizen residing in a foreign country as its Vice President.