People In East Look Like Chinese...People In South Like Africans: Sam Pitroda Triggers Controversy

Senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda has sparked off a row again after he claimed that the Indians in the East look like Chinese while South Indians look like Africans.

In an interview with The Statesman, the president of the Indian Overseas Congress Pitroda said, "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 White and people in South India look like Africans. It doesn't matter. We are all brothers and sisters,"

Talking about the Indian democracy, Pitroda said the people "survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving a few fights here and there."

During the course of the interview, he spoke about the diversity in the country and people respect different languages, customs, and foods. He said, "That's the India that I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit."

His analogy has been criticised by the BJP.

Assam Chief Minister reacted to Pitroda's remarks on X with a post which read: "Sam bhai, 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! (Have some understanding about our country)."

Actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who is contesting from BJP ticket in Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, called his remarks as "racist and "divisive jibes". She said, "Sam Pitroda is Rahul Gandhi's mentor. Listen to his racist & divisive jibes for Indians. Their whole ideology is about divide & rule. It's sickening to call fellow Indians Chinese and African. Shame on Congress!"

Last month, Pitroda triggered a controversy with his remarks on the inheritance tax law in the United States and referred to the "redistribution of wealth" issue. However, the Congress distanced from his comments as the BJP came down heavily on the president of the Indian Overseas Congress.