Sam Pitroda Resigns as Indian Overseas Congress Chief Amid Racist Remark Row

New Delhi: Congress leader Sam Pitroda stepped down from the post of Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday after stirring controversy over racial remarks comparing Indians in different regions to various ethnicities.

The party’s General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh confirmed the development on X.

“Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision,” Ramesh tweeted.

श्री सैम पित्रोदा ने अपनी मर्ज़ी से इंडियन ओवरसीज कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष पद से इस्तीफ़ा देने का फ़ैसला किया है। कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष ने उनका इस्तीफ़ा स्वीकार कर लिया है।

Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 8, 2024

During an interview with The Statesman, Pitroda said that Indians in the East resemble the Chinese, people from the West look like Arabs, while those from the North look like Whites and those from the South look like Africans.

The Congress was quick to distance itself from these remarks, deeming them “unacceptable” and not representative of the party’s stance.

The situation escalated further when the BJP condemned Pitroda’s comments, labelling them as “racist and divisive.”