Pitroda steps down as Indian Overseas Cong Chairman as row erupts over his ‘Chinese, African’ remark
Amid his ‘Chinese, African’ remark that erupted controversy, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said he has resigned as IOC Chairman ‘of his own accord’
SAM Pitroda has stepped down as the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) as a political row erupted over his racist remarks.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Sam Pitroda has resigned “of his own accord" and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has accepted his decision.
Sam Pitroda has been leaving Congress red-faced after some of his remarks did not go well in the political circles at a crucial time when India is voting to elect its next government at the Centre.
His recent remarks, referring to how people in the South “look like Africans and those in the East looks like Arabs and those in the East look like Chinese" while explaining unity in Indian diversity has ignited a firestorm, prompting Congress to distance itself.
Sam Pitroda said, “We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on east look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like white and maybe people on South look like Africans."
