Sam Pitroda returns: BJP claims hypocrisy after Congress’s ‘no controversy’ promise

The Congress on Wednesday reinstated Sam Pitroda as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, weeks after he resigned from the post after embarrassing his party with his controversial remarks amid the Lok Sabha elections.

While the Congress leadership assured Pitroda would not leave room for controversies in the future, the Bharatiya Janata Party sharply reacted to the development saying his resignation was a poll gimmick.

The BJP claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had foreseen that the Congress would reinstate Sam Pitroda after the elections.

“As PM Modi anticipated, the Congress’ sacking of Sam Pitroda was merely an election gimmick. He has now been reinstated as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, exposing the hypocrisy of the Congress party and its leaders,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on X.

Sam Pitroda, a close confidant of the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, resigned from the post on May 8 after making a string of controversial remarks that gave the BJP ammunition to attack the Congress.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that Sam Pitroda has explained to the party’s leadership the context of the statements he had made.

“During the recent election campaign, Sam Pitroda had made some statements and comments that were unacceptable to the Indian National Congress. By mutual consent, he stepped down as Chairman of the Overseas Indian Congress. Subsequently, he clarified the context in which statements were made and how they were later distorted by the Modi campaign. The Congress President has reappointed him on the assurance that he will not in future leave room for such controversies to arise,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

Sam Pitroda had stoked a huge controversy with his remark that those who live in the eastern part of India resemble the Chinese.

“We have survived 70-75 years, in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold the country together, as diverse as India — where people in the East look like Chinese, people in the West look like Arab, people in the North look like, maybe White, and people in the South look like Africans. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters,” Pitroda had said in a podcast.

The BJP had called the remark “racist and divisive”.

Before this remark, Pitroda’s reference to the inheritance tax in the United States while discussing the Congress’ Lok Sabha poll manifesto, made headlines, with the BJP accusing the party of planning to redistribute the wealth of the masses.

After Pitroda’s resignation, PM Modi, in an interview, had said the Congress would bring back their “US-based” guru after a few days.