Not party's view: Congress distances itself from Sam Pitroda's 'China is not India's enemy' remark

In an X post, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The views reported by Shri Sam Pitroda on China are certainly not the views of the Indian National Congress."

Ramesh has also taken a dig at the ruling BJP referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visits to China suggesting it was the government which had a view different from that of the Congress.

The Congress leader added in his X post, "China remains our biggest foreign policy, external security, and economic challenge. The Congress Party has repeatedly questioned the Modi government's approach to China, including the clean chit given to China publicly by the Prime Minister on 19 June 2020. Our most recent statement on China was issued on 28 January 2025."

"It is also extremely unfortunate that Parliament is not being given an opportunity to discuss the situation and express its collective resolve to find effective solutions to these challenges."

What did Sam Pitroda exactly say?

In an interview with IANS, Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda, who is known for courting controversies, said, "I don't understand the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion because the US has a tendency to define an enemy. I believe the time has come for all nations to collaborate, not confront."

"Our approach has been confrontational from the very beginning, and this attitude creates enemies, which in turn garners support within the country. We need to change this mindset and stop assuming that China is the enemy from day one."

BJP reacts

Slamming Pitroda's remark, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "This man sings endless praises of China while Congress party’s signing of MoU in 2008 reveal a cozy betrayal of India’s interests & prioritising China’s!

"It’s crazy how Congress always manages to keep China & Pakistan’s interests above ours! Rahul Gandhi's remote control is in the hand of George Soros and China. What a shame!"

India-China conflicts

In one of the recent conflicts which took place in 2020 in Galwan, a skirmish erupted from a dispute over a temporary bridge built by the Chinese in the Galwan River valley in Ladakh.

On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a six-hour clash in the rugged terrain of Ladakh, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with makeshift weapons such as stones, batons, and iron rods.

The face-off occurred in near-complete darkness and freezing temperatures, leading to fatalities as soldiers fell or were pushed from ridges.

However, the troops of both the countries arrived at a disengagement agreement last year de-escalating the simmering border tension.

India and China, the two Asian giants, have been in conflict over their border for decades, leading to military clashes and border skirmishes.

The most notable military conflict took place in 1962 when China had attacked the Indian border posts in Ladakh and crossed the McMohan line in the east.

India had lost Aksai Chin territory to China.