Sam Pitroda, veteran Congressman and the party’s overseas unit chief, stepped down from the post this evening amid a huge political row over his controversial remarks that came amid the massive seven-phase election. Calling his comments racist, leaders of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accused the Congress of pursuing divisive practices.
The announcement about Mr Pitroda came in a terse post on X from the party’s communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh.
“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,” the post read.
श्री सैम पित्रोदा ने अपनी मर्ज़ी से इंडियन ओवरसीज कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष पद से इस्तीफ़ा देने का फ़ैसला किया है। कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष ने उनका इस्तीफ़ा स्वीकार कर लिया है।
Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 8, 2024
In an exclusive interview with The Statesman, Mr Pitroda had described India as a “diverse country… where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa”.
The Congress, still firefighting over Mr Pitroda’s earlier comment on inheritance tax, found itself in the middle of a fresh row that posed a challenge to allies like MK Stalin’s DMK.
The party had immediately distanced itself from Mr Pitroda’s remark.
“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,” read a post from the party’s communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh.
