‘Won’t tolerate disrespect on basis of skin colour’: PM Modi slams Sam Pitroda’s remarks

Tearing into the Congress over its senior leader Sam Pitroda’s fresh remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday demanded a response from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that the country “won’t tolerate disrespect on the basis of the colour of skin”.

Pitroda, whose remark on an inheritance tax in the US last month made the BJP to see red, came up with a new controversial statement while he was trying to make a pitch for national unity despite India’s diversity.

In an interview with The Statesman, Pitroda described India as a “… diverse country… where people in the East look like Chinese, people in West look like Arabs, people in North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africans”.

As videos of Pitroda’s remarks started doing the rounds on social media, PM Modi launched an all-out attack on the Congress at a rally in Telangana’s Warangal.

Also Read: Sam Pitroda stokes row over ‘people in East look like Chinese, South look like Africans’ remark

Repeating his “shehzade (prince)” barb for Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister said, “Shehzade, you will have to answer. The country will not tolerate the disrespect of our countrymen on the basis of the colour of skin. Modi will definitely not tolerate it.”

Doubling down, the Prime Minister said he now knows why the Congress opposed the BJP’s choice of Droupadi Murmu for the President’s post. “I used to wonder why the Congress opposed Droupadi Murmu’s candidature in the presidential election, but I could not understand. But now I know why they tried to defeat Droupadi Murmu, an adivasi. An uncle of the shehzaada stays in the US. He is his philosopher and guide. He has said those who have dark skin are from Africa. Now I have understood, they also thought Droupadi Murmu is African. They thought her skin is dark, so she must be defeated,” the Prime Minister said.

On his X handle as well, the Prime Minister said he was “absolutely disgusted by the remarks of the senior Congress leader, who is the friend, philosopher and guide of the Congress’ Crown Prince”. “His remarks are racist and in very poor taste,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

Also Read: ‘Dangerous problems disguised as solutions’: PM Modi on the idea of Inheritance Tax in India 

Among the other BJP leaders who panned the remarks was Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who said, “Sam bhai, I am from the northeast, 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! (Please understand at least something about our country).”

“I condemn Congress leader, Sam Pitroida’s racist comment against the people of Northeast. The Congress has always tried to divide India with their Divide and Rule policy. But they must know that NE has been a part of India and will always be. Such a mockery in the India’s diversity is highly unacceptable @INCIndia and @sampitroda must publicly apologize,” Manipur CM N Biren Singh said.

BJP leaders started an ‘I look Indian’ campaign to corner Congress over Pitroda’s statement.

As BJP leaders slammed Pitroda and Congress, the party pushed into firefight mode and distanced itself from its senior leader’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,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.