NEW DELHI, May 8:
Congress leader Sam Pitroda today resigned as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress after his controversial remarks spurred the BJP to label the party “racist”.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has accepted Pitroda’s decision.
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“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 said in his post.
The development came after Pitroda’s choice of ethnic and racial identities like Chinese, Arabs, Whites and Africans at a podcast to describe how Indians from different parts of the country look triggered a political firestorm. The Congress swiftly distanced itself from his words, calling the remarks “most unfortunate and unacceptable”.
As the row erupted, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X: “The analogies drawn by 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.”
Ramesh later announced Pitroda’s decision to resign and that the Congress president has accepted it. (PTI)
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