Nearly a year after his controversial remark on India’s diversity sparked a political uproar, Sam Pitroda, the Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress and close aide to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has found himself in the midst of fresh controversy. Pitroda’s recent comments on illegal migrants in India have ignited a political storm, with both opposition parties and political analysts criticizing his statement.
In a discussion about illegal immigration, Pitroda controversially suggested that illegal migrants should be allowed to settle in India, criticizing the central government’s approach to the issue. “If they want to come here, even illegally, let them come. We should include everybody. If we have to suffer a little bit, it’s okay. We will share but nobody wants to share. They want to keep their pie bigger and bigger,” Pitroda said.
Pitroda went on to criticize the government’s focus on cracking down on illegal migrants, arguing that it should shift its attention to more pressing global issues like climate change instead. His comments have drawn sharp reactions, especially with the issue of illegal immigration becoming a heated topic in the political landscape ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quickly condemned Pitroda’s remarks. BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari took to social media to express his outrage, calling Pitroda’s statement “outrageous.” He further stated, “Rahul Gandhi’s right-hand man Sam Pitroda’s statement advocating for illegal migrants to settle in India, even at the country’s expense, is shocking and irresponsible.” He also questioned Congress’ long-standing approach to the issue, adding, “Now you wonder how Congress for the last 70 years worked overtime to settle illegals in our country!”
The statement comes at a time when the contentious issue of illegal Bangladeshi migration has resurfaced as a key political narrative in the capital. The BJP has accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of facilitating illegal migration by allegedly creating fake Aadhaar cards for Bangladeshi migrants and using them as a “vote bank” for the upcoming Delhi elections.
This is not the first time Pitroda has attracted controversy. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, his remarks on India’s regional diversity also led to criticism. He had controversially stated, “Northeast people look like Chinese, people in the west look like Arabs, people in the north look like white and the south look like Africa.”
As the political stakes rise ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, Pitroda’s latest comments have added fuel to the fire, with political parties on both sides of the debate seizing on the issue of illegal immigration to rally their supporters.