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Journalism of Courage
SAM PITRODA is back with yet another embarrassing self-goal for the Congress, the second of this election period. As the BJP – right from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to its Chief Ministers in the Northeast – seized on his remarks and attacked the Congress, the leadership of the grand old party could just squirm and watch with dismay.
Party leaders say their hands are tied given the closeness of Pitroda, who heads the Indian Overseas Congress, to the Gandhi family, and Rahul Gandhi’s fondness for him. On Tuesday, even as the Congress disassociated itself from Pitroda’s remarks, calling the analogies drawn by him unfortunate and unacceptable, Rahul remained quiet while senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sidestepped his remarks.
The latest controversy was stirred after a podcast came out with his remarks, while describing India’s diversity, saying here “people in the East look like the Chinese, people in the West look like the Arabs, people in the North look like, maybe, White and people in the South look like Africans”. Pitroda added: “It does not matter. All of us are brothers and sisters.”
Asked by ANI whether Pitroda had given Modi a full toss, Priyanka, who is in Rae Bareli overseeing the Congress’s campaign in the seat and neighbouring Amethi, said: “Pradhan mantri inhin fizool baaton pe full toss khelte hain (The PM wastes time on full tosses like these). I challenge him, play full toss on employment, play full toss on price rise, atrocities on women… You are saving those who are committing atrocities against women… Inpe kheliye. Phir main manoongi ki haan koi khela hai (Play on these issues. Then I will believe that the game is on).”
However, as Modi led the BJP offensive over Pitroda’s “racist” comments, calling them proof of the Congress’s attempts to divide the country on the lines of race, religion and caste, Congress leaders admitted growing disquiet over Pitroda, seen as a “habitual offender”, with sources saying a “stern message” should be sent to people like him. At the same time, the sources admitted, that signal has to come from the Gandhis themselves.
In an official clarification, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh posted on X: “The analogies drawn by Mr Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable.”
One Congress leader said: “The Gandhis should realise that this man is giving the BJP talking points on a platter… We know that the BJP, especially Modi, is going to town, but our hands are tied. We could only disassociate the party from his remarks… that is why Ramesh promptly issued a clarification.”
Another leader said: “I still don’t know what he brings to the Congress table apart from the fact that he coordinates and manages Rahul’s speaking engagements, including at various universities abroad.”
The latest controversy comes days after Pitroda praised the US system of inheritance tax, with the BJP latching onto it as proof that the Congress wanted to take money of the people and redistribute it. According to the party, the distribution would happen to the minorities, particularly Muslims, as the Congress has identified them as the most underprivileged.
Following that controversy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was believed to have reiterated that party leaders should be careful in their public utterances.
Pitroda, 81, who lives in Chicago, US, describes himself as a “telecom inventor, entrepreneur, development thinker and policy maker” on his website. His link to the Congress dates back to the time that he served as an adviser to Rajiv Gandhi when he was the Prime Minister.
In 1989, he became the first chairman of the Telecom Commission and also headed the National Knowledge Commission from 2005 to 2009 under PM Manmohan Singh. In 2009, he was appointed as an adviser to the PM on public information infrastructure with the rank of a Cabinet minister. Pitroda also organises Rahul’s international speaking events, among other engagements.
Pitroda’s remarks on the US inheritance tax, meant for the super-rich, came when the Congress was already on the back foot over the issue, with PM Modi claiming that the Congress manifesto showed it intended to redistribute the nation’s wealth. The Congress has refuted this.
While Pitroda then said that his remarks had been misconstrued, Ramesh issued a clarification at the time too that his views did not reflect those of the party.
Earlier, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Pitroda said in a TV interview that the middle class should be prepared to pay more taxes to guarantee minimum income for all poor households, asking them not to be “selfish”. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram had to clarify there would be no additional tax burden on the middle class if the Congress returned to power.
Then came his remarks on the counter-strike in Balakot by the Modi government, saying: “Attack happened in Mumbai also. We could have then reacted and just sent our planes. But that is not the correct approach. Eight people (26/11 terrorists) come and do something, you don’t jump on the entire nation (Pakistan). Naive to assume that just because some people came here and attacked, every citizen of that nation is to be blamed,” Pitroda said.
During the same elections, when the BJP accused Rajiv of having given the “instructions” for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Pitroda denied the charge and added: “Ab kya hai ’84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya (Now what is there to say about 1984? Talk about what you did in the last 5 years. What happened in 1984 happened. But what have you achieved)?”
Pitroda later apologised for his remarks and the Congress issued a clarification.
In June 2023, Pitroda said at an event in the US in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, “We have a problem with unemployment, inflation, education and health. No one talks about these things. But everyone talks about Ram, Hanuman and Mandir. I have said that temples are not going to create jobs.”
Pitroda also threatened to shake the Congress’s tightrope walk in the run-up to the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya when the BJP was accusing Opposition parties of disregarding Lord Ram and hurting sentiments. “When the entire nation is hung up on Ram Temple and Ram Janmabhoomi, it bothers me…To me, religion is something very personal and national issues are education, employment, growth, economy, inflation, health, environment, pollution. But no one speaks about it,” Pitroda said.
Earlier this year, Pitroda shared on X a writeup by Sudheendra Kulkarni, a columnist earlier close to the BJP, that credited former PM Jawaharlal Nehru and not B R Ambedkar with the making of the Indian Constitution, before deleting the post. The BJP attacked the Congress, accusing it of undermining Ambedkar’s legacy.
