Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed anger over Congress leader
Sam Pitroda’s remarks
that “Indians in the East resemble the Chinese while those in the South look like Africans” and demanded an answer from Rahul Gandhi, saying that the country “won’t tolerate disrespect on the basis of the colour of skin”.
Addressing a public rally in Telangana’s Warangal, PM Modi repeated his “shehzade” barb for Gandhi and said, “Aapko jawaab dena padega (You will have to answer for this). My country will not tolerate the disrespect of my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour and Modi will never tolerate this.”
Pitroda, whose recent comment on inheritance tax in the US embarrassed Congress during the election season, made another blunder when attempting to advocate for national unity despite India’s diversity.
In an exclusive interview to The Statesman, Pitroda described India as a “… diverse country… 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 Africa”.
PM Modi said he has today understood why the Congress was hell-bent on defeating Droupadi Murmu, who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of Adiwasi family.
“I was thinking a lot that Droupadi Murmu who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of Adiwasi family, that 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…,” said the PM.
Expressing his anger, PM Modi said that he can tolerate the abuse directed at him but to compare people on the basis of colour is unacceptable.
“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’?,” he asked.
“The people dancing with the Consitution on their head are insulting my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour…,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Congress distanced itself from Pitroda’s remarks calling them “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,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
With inputs from agencies
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