Hours after Indian Overseas Congress head Sam Pitroda’s racist remark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lambasted the grand old party for ‘insulting Indians based on their colour’. “I will not tolerate insult of my fellow Indians,” the prime minister said.
He added that he now understands why the Congress keeps insulting President Droupadi Murmu. “…Just because her skin colour is black,” Modi remarked.
“One Shehjade uncle lives in America. When there is any confusion, he takes opinion with his uncle. His uncle said those whose skin is black color are African. He called our Indian people African. Now I understand why they keep insulting our president Droupdi Murmu, just because her skin colour is black they thought she is African and they should defeat her. Shehjade’s uncle Sam Pitroda is his 3rd Umpire,” Modi said at a rally in Telangana’s Warrangal.
“I am very angry today , if someone abuse me, I can tolerate it but today, Shehjade’s philosopher had crossed limit. Will skin color now decide our ability? They are insulting people of India on basis of skin color. I will not tolerate insult of my fellow Indians,” he added.
However, Congress disassociated the party from Pitroda’s comments after receiving major backlash from the saffron camp and termed the remarks of its member as “most unfortunate and unacceptable”.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said analogies drawn by Mr. Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable.
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.— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 8, 2024
Highlighting how India has developed itself as 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 are living together”.
“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,” said Pitroda, during an interview with The Statesman.
Hitting back at Sam Pitroda for his comments on the appearance of northeastern, Manipur CM N Biren Singh demanded an apology from the Congress party. He said that Congress has a “hidden agenda to divide India on religious grounds” and blamed the opposition party for the situation in the state, where over 100 people were killed and thousands left homeless in the violence since May last year.
“Very unfortunate and utter nonsense. We all live together in India. We are all Indians. I feel very sad and condemn this kind of comment by Congress. They should apologise to Indians. The Northeast is India’s inseparable part,” he stated.
Attacking the Congress leader for his comments, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X and wrote, “Sam bhai (Brother), I am from the North East and I look like an Indian. We are a diverse country – we may look different but we are all one. Hamare desh ke bare mein thoda to samajh lo!”