Sam Pitroda has been re-appointed as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, according to an announcement by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Wednesday.
The Congress President reinstated Pitroda to his former position with immediate effect, following his resignation earlier in May this year amidst controversies surrounding his remarks about the appearance of Indians. At the time, the Congress party distanced itself from Pitroda's statements.
Congress General Secretary for Communications, Jairam Ramesh, shared the news of Pitroda's decision to step down through a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision," Ramesh stated.
The controversy began when Pitroda, in an interview with 'The Statesman,' commented on the diversity of appearances among Indians. He remarked, "We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people in the East look like Chinese, people in the West look like Arabs, people in the North look like whites, and maybe people in the South look like Africans."
Pitroda emphasised India's respect for different languages, religions, foods, and customs, which vary from region to region. "That's the India that I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit," he added.
Pitroda's remarks sparked an uproar during the Lok Sabha elections, with the ruling BJP sharply criticising the Congress party. Jairam Ramesh described Pitroda's analogies as "most unfortunate and unacceptable," clarifying that the Indian National Congress completely dissociated itself from these remarks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned Pitroda's statements, asserting that the people of India would not tolerate insults based on skin color. During a rally in Warangal, PM Modi demanded an explanation from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying, "'Shehzade aapko jawaab dena padega'. My country will not tolerate the disrespect of my countrymen based on their skin colour and Modi will never tolerate this."
PM Modi further criticised the Congress party's stance towards President Droupadi Murmu, suggesting that the party's opposition to her was influenced by Pitroda, whom he referred to as a "philosophical guide" for Rahul Gandhi.
Modi remarked, "I was thinking a lot about President Droupadi Murmu, who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of an Adivasi 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 is not the first time Pitroda has courted controversy with his remarks. He previously advocated for an inheritance tax-like law in India, emphasising the need for policies aimed at wealth redistribution.
"In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and, when he dies, can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you, in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now; you must leave your wealth for the public–not all of it, but half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda stated.
PM Modi criticised these remarks, accusing the Congress of not wanting Indians to pass on their property to their children.
With his reappointment, Pitroda returns to a key role within the Indian Overseas Congress, a position from which he had previously stepped down amidst significant controversy.
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