BJP tears into Sam Pitroda, dubs his "East Indians look like Chinese" comment as racist

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has hit back at Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda over his 'racist' remarks about how people in the South "look like Africans and those in the East look like Arabs and those in the East look like Chinese."

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was one of the first to react when he took to X and slammed Pitroda over his remarks and said, "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. Understand a little about our country!"

BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar termed Pitroda's remark as "Shameless".

"This is how Rahul Gandhi has been taught to divide up and see India by his tutor and mentor -Sam Pitroda," he said.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya alleged that the statement by Pitroda is no different from what Churchill had said about Indians.

"Congress has always been the OG-breaking India party. This commentary is no different from what Churchill had said about us. No wonder RG is the way he is after being mentored by him!" Surya said.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also joined in the criticism alleging that these were racist comments by a man who is the guru of Rahul Gandhi.

"It is the words and thinking of Rahul Gandhi only because these days Rahul is also playing the politics of divide and rule to such an extent that first they divide on caste and language lines and now they are doing Indians Vs Indians. To make comments like Indians are like Chinese. Isn't this a racist comment? Isn't this insulting? Indians are looking like Africans. Isn't it the comment on the entire South people? By making these comments, it shows that Congress' "Mohabbat ki dukaan" actually has "Nafrat ka saaman". Unless Congress gives a complete explanation and sacks Sam Pitroda, this should be taken as the statement of the Congress," Poonawalla said.

BJP candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, Kangana Ranaut also took to X and said that Congress' whole ideology is about divide and rule.

"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!" Ranaut said.

Earlier, speaking about how India is a shining example of democracy in the world, Pitroda said that the people of the country have "survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving a few fights here and there".

Pitroda, in an interview with 'The Statesman', while reflecting upon the democracy in India 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 the east look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on the North look like white and maybe people on the South look like Africans."

Pitroda had earlier courted controversy when he had advocated an inheritance tax-like law in the country. However, the Congress had officially distanced itself from Pitroda's comments saying that they did not reflect the view of the party at all times. Now the Congress overseas Chairman has put the Congress in a soup with his latest comments.