Sam Pitroda’s ‘racist’ remarks ‘reprehensible’, Congress must apologise: Yogi Adityanath

PTI, May 9, 2024, 4:19 PM IST

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday strongly criticised Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s ”racist” remarks terming them ”reprehensible” and demanding an apology from the party.

Highlighting Congress’ ongoing efforts to sow division based on colour and ethnicity, the chief minister alleged that the Congress was responsible for the partition of the country in 1947. Even after Independence, the party committed the sin of dividing the country along caste, regional and linguistic lines, he said.

”Sam Pitroda, the advisor and guide of the Congress leadership, espouses the party’s historical divide-and-rule tactic. His remarks are reprehensible,” the chief minister said, while talking to reporters here.

”The Congress must apologise to the nation for Pitroda’s comments,” he added.

Adityanath said Pitroda must refrain from commenting on the Ram temple. Lord Ram symbolises unity, cultural integrity and the values of compassion and development for all. The construction of the Ram temple is a matter of immense pride for India, reflecting its cultural ethos and national unity, he added.

He said humanity’s supporters worldwide, including the followers of ‘Sanatan Dharma’, are jubilant over the construction of the Ram temple. The positive energy generated by this monumental development and the visits of numerous ambassadors to Ayodhya indicated international recognition of its significance, he added.

Adityanath expressed confidence in the continuation of this positive momentum.

In a podcast, Pitroda had stated, ”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 as diverse as India together. Where people in the east look like the Chinese, people in the west look like the Arabs, people in the north look like, maybe, white and people in the south look like Africa (sic).

”It does not matter. All of us are brothers and sisters. We respect different languages, different religions, different customs, different food,” he said.

Earlier , Pitroda was quoted in reports as saying that it bothers him that the entire nation is hung up on the Ram temple.

Pitroda on Wednesday resigned as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress after his controversial remarks on race and ethnicity spurred the BJP to label the party ”racist”.