Sam Pitroda racist remarks row: Reacting to the 'racist' remarks of Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lambasted the grand old party for ‘insulting the people of the country based on their colour’ and warned that he will not tolerate the insult of his fellow Indians.
Pitroda sparked controversy earlier in the day with his statement suggesting that individuals from East India resembled the Chinese, while those from South India bore a resemblance to Africans.
Here's what PM Modi said
Addressing a public gathering in Telangana's Warangal, the Prime Minister said that now he understands why the Congress keeps insulting President Droupadi Murmu.
"I was thinking a lot that Droupadi Murmu who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of the Adiwasi family, then why is Congress trying so hard to defeat her but today I got to know the reason. I got to know that there is an uncle in America who is the philosophical guide of 'Shehzada' and just like the third umpire in cricket this 'Shehzada' takes advice from the third umpire. This philosophical uncle said that those who have black skin are from Africa. This means that you are abusing several people of the country on the basis of their skin colour," said PM Modi.
Prime Minister Modi expressed his strong disapproval of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating, "I am very angry today. If someone abuses me, I can take it, but this philosopher of 'Shehzada' has given such a big abuse that has filled me with anger."
"I want to ask a serious question today...I am very angry today, if someone abuses me I can take it but this philosopher of 'Shehzada' has given such a big abuse that has filled me with anger. Will the potential of the people of the country be decided on the skin colour? Who gave this right to 'Shehzada'? The people dancing with the Consitution on their head are insulting my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour," he said.
Modi will never tolerate this
He further said, "...'Shehzade aapko jawaab dena padega'. My country will not tolerate the disrespect of my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour and Modi will never tolerate this..."
Congress dissociates itself from Sam Pitroda racist remarks
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the analogies drawn by Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India's diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable.
Ramesh posted on X and said, "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."
'People in East look like Chinese...': Sam Pitroda's new controversial statement
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".
Pitroda, in an interview to 'The Statesman', while refelecting upon the democracy in India said, "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.
Earlier, Pitroda stoked a controversy while speaking about the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America and said these are issued that will need to be discussed."In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda had said.
