Amidst controversial statements during the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Sam Pitroda has resigned as President of the Indian Overseas Congress. The Congress party has also accepted his resignation. Party leader Jairam Ramesh shared the news on the social media platform X. In his post, he wrote, "Sam Pitroda has voluntarily decided to resign from the presidency of the Indian Overseas Congress. The Congress President has accepted his resignation."
Jairam Ramesh's post on X was also reposted by Sam Pitroda.
In the eye of the storm, a video of Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, has surfaced where he is seen making controversial racial comparisons between people living in different parts of India. In the video, Pitroda compares the people of Eastern India to the Chinese and those from Southern India to Africans, drawing sharp criticism towards the Congress. However, the party has distanced itself from Pitroda's remarks.
The Congress has now responded to Sam Pitroda's statement. In a social media release, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh deemed Pitroda's comparisons used in a podcast to showcase India's diversity as highly unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress dissociates itself entirely from these comparisons.
What did Sam Pitroda say?
In the video, Sam Pitroda states that India is a country of immense diversity, where people in East India resemble the Chinese, in the West resemble Arabs, in the North appear similar to Caucasians, and those in the South akin to Africans. He emphasizes that it doesn't matter, as we are all brothers and sisters. Pitroda further says we respect the different languages, religions, and customs. "This is the India I believe in," he affirms, "where everyone is respected, and all make some compromises."
Controversy also ignited over legacy tax comments
Previously, Sam Pitroda sparked controversy with his comments regarding a legacy tax in response to Rahul Gandhi's suggestion that Congress, if elected, would conduct a survey to determine the wealth of individuals. Reacting to this, Pitroda mentioned the estate tax in the United States.
Pitroda noted that in the US, an estate tax is levied. If someone has property worth $10 million, upon their death, 45% is transferred to their children, and the government claims ownership over the remaining 55%. "It's a fascinating law," he stated. "It stipulates you've made enough wealth in your life, and you should leave part of it for the public after you're gone – not all, but half, which seems fair to me. But no such law exists in India. Here, if someone has wealth amounting to 10 billion rupees, their children inherit it all posthumously, leaving nothing for the public. I believe such issues should be discussed. I don’t know what the discussion will lead to. We're talking about new policies and programs that are in the interest of the people, not just the rich." Pitroda's statements had created quite a stir.
