PM Narendra Modi came down heavily against Sam Pitroda's remarks, saying he won't tolerate insult based on people's skin colour.
"Who permitted 'shehzaada' (prince in reference to Rahul Gandhi) to look down on my people like that? 'Shehzaade' you will have to answer. We will not accept this racist mentality," the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi defends diversity of India, condemns racist mentality
Modi on Wednesday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over party leader Sam Pitroda's controversial remarks, saying that the latter's statement was an "insult to several people of the country on the basis of their skin colour".u8
Pitroda stoked controversy earlier in the day with his remarks that people in east resembled the Chinese, while those from South India looked like Africans.
"I can tolerate it when abuses are hurled at me, but not when they are hurled at my people. Can we decide a person's merit based on skin colour?" Modi aid while addressing a poll rally in Telangana's Warangal district.
"No matter what the colour of one's skin is, we are the people who worship Lord Krishna. I am very angry today. The people who keep the Constitution above their heads are insulting people on the basis of their skin colour," PM Modi said.
"Who permitted 'shehzaada' (prince in reference to Rahul Gandhi) to look down on my people like that? 'Shehzaade' you will have to answer. We will not accept this racist mentality," the Prime Minister added.
Further he said that "since President Droupadi Murmu also hails from an 'Adivasi' (tribal) family, the Congress tries very hard to defeat her" as well.
"I got to know that there is an 'uncle' in America who is the 'philosopher' of the 'shehzaada'. And just like the third umpire in cricket, this 'shehzaada' takes his advice from the third umpire," he said.
"When you gave the BJP a chance in 2014, we gave you a Dalit President, Ram Nath Kovind. Again, in 2019, we gave the country an Adivasi President, Droupadi Murmu."
In an interview, Sam Pitroda said, "We could hold together a country as diverse as India -- where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africans. It doesn't matter. We are all brothers and sisters."
"We all respect different languages, different religions, customs and food. That's the India that I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit," he added.
While the Congress immediately distanced itself from the "unacceptable" controversial remarks, the BJP slammed the "racist" statement.
In a tweet, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Pitroda's remarks were "most unfortunate and unacceptable".
"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," he added.
Among top BJP leaders condemning Pitroda, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the remarks revealed that the "Congress is inherently today focussed on dividing India, dividing Indians on caste, creed, identity and geopgraphy".
On her part, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted, "I am from South India. I look Indian! My team has enthusiastic members from northeast India. They look Indian! My colleagues from west India look Indian!
"But, for the racist who is the mentor of Rahul Gandhi, we all look African, Chinese, Arab and the White! Thanks for revealing your mindset and your attitude. I.N.D.I alliance’s shame!
Meanwhile, Union Minister Giriraj Singh sought apologies from Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X, "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."
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