'People on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab..,' says Congress' Sam Pitroda; BJP jibes

Speaking to The Statesman, Pitroda said, "... 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."

Countering Pitroda, Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma, posted on X, "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. Hamare desh ke bare mein thoda to samajh lo!"

Sam Pitroda's comment on wealth distribution stirs row

Defending the Congress' promise which has triggered sharp reactions from the BJP, Pitroda told ANI that the policy was in favour of people and not super-rich.

Pitroda was quoted by India Today, "If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law.

"It says you, in your generation, made wealth, and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair."

"In India, you don't have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion, and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing... So these are the kind of issues people will have to debate and discuss," he added.

Congress distances itself

The Congress has distanced itself from Pitroda's remark stating it does not reflect the standpoint of the grand old party, which has been out of party for 10 years now.

Congress communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh posted on X, " Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he feels strongly about. Surely, in a democracy an individual is at liberty to discuss, express, and debate his personal views.

"This does not mean that Mr. Pitroda's views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not. Sensationalising his comments now and tearing them out of context are deliberate and desperate attempts at diverting attention away from Mr. Narenda Modi's malicious and mischievous election campaign; that is anchored ONLY in lies and more lies."