Sam Pitroda Steps Down After Racist Remarks Spark Controversy, Congress President Accepts Resignation

After putting Congress into soup twice in two weeks, Sam Pitroda "stepped down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord."

Senior Congress leader and MP Jairam Ramesh informed on X that the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accepted Pitroda's decision.

The recent controversy was sparked by Pitroda's racist remarks on Indians of different regions in an interview given to The Statesman.

"...People on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like, you know, maybe white and people in South look like Africa," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed "anger" over the remarks and sought response from Rahul Gandhi over his "philosopher's" statements.

While Congress distanced itself from these remarks as Jairam Ramesh termed them "most unfortunate and unacceptable," BJP attacked the Congress over them.

Earlier, Pitroda pulled Congress into controversy by praising the US inheritance tax. Modi said, "Congress ki loot zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi," on this.