Amid escalating controversy surrounding his recent remarks deemed racist, Sam Pitroda, veteran Congressman and head of the party’s overseas unit, tendered his resignation this evening. The move comes as the Congress faces immense criticism, particularly from the BJP, accusing the party of fostering divisive rhetoric.
The decision was announced through a brief statement on social media by Jairam Ramesh, the party’s communications-in-charge, confirming Pitroda’s voluntary resignation and its acceptance by the Congress President.
“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,” the post read.
In an exclusive interview with The Statesman, Pitroda had described Bharat as a “diverse country… where people in the east look like the Chinese, people in the west look like Arabs, people in the north look like maybe white and people in the south look like Africa”.
This latest debacle adds to the Congress’ woes, already grappling with fallout from Pitroda’s previous controversial remark on inheritance tax, which attracted condemnation from the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Congress swiftly distanced itself from Pitroda’s statement, labelling them as “unfortunate and unacceptable,” while asserting their dissociation from his analogies.
Pitroda’s tendency to make out-of-turn comments has presented a significant challenge for the Congress, particularly during the ongoing election period. His earlier remarks on inheritance tax had sparked a fierce backlash, with PM Narendra Modi alleging that the Congress would redistribute personal wealth among “infiltrators,” further intensifying the political turmoil.
