PM Modi Targets Rahul Gandhi Over Pitroda's 'South Indians Look Like Africans' Comments

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday targeted Rahul Gandhi over Congress' senior leader Sam Pitroda's racist comments.

In an interview with The Statesman, 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,"

PM Modi called Pitroda as a "philosophical uncle" of Rahul Gandhi. Addressing a public gathering in Warangal in Telangana, the Prime Minister said, "I was thinking a lot that Droupadi Murmu who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of Adiwasi family, then why is Congress trying so hard to defeat her but today I got to know the reason.

I got to know that there is an uncle in America who is the philosophical guide of 'Shehzada' and just like the third umpire in cricket this 'Shehzada' takes advice from the third umpire. This philosophical uncle said that those who have black skin are from Africa. This means that you are abusing several people of the country on the basis of their skin colour..."

PM Modi questioned the Congress whether people's potential can be decided based on skin colour.

He said, "I want to ask a serious question today...I am very angry today, if someone abuses me I can take it but this philosopher of 'Shehzada' has given such a big abuse that has filled me with anger. Will the potential of the people of the country be decided on the skin colour? Who gave this right to 'Shehzada'?. The people dancing with the Consitution on their head are insulting my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour..."

The PM said that Rahul Gandhi should answer Pitroda's remarks as the country will not tolerate the disrespect. He added, "...'Shehzade aapko jawaab dena padega'. My country will not tolerate the disrespect of my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour and Modi will never tolerate this..."

Addressing a public gathering in Warangal, Telangana, PM Modi says "I want to ask a serious question today...I am very angry today, if someone abuses me I can take it but this philosopher of 'Shehzada' has given such a big abuse that has filled me with anger. Will the potential of the people of the country be decided on the skin colour? Who gave this right to 'Shehzada'?. The people dancing with the Consitution on their head are insulting my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour..."

As the controversy broke out over Pitroda's remarks, the Congress has distanced itself from him. Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Analogies drawn by Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India's diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies,"

Last month, Pitroda's comments on the "redistribution of wealth" created a similar controversy.