GUWAHATI: Four chief ministers of the Northeastern states slammed Sam Pitroda, chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, on Wednesday for his alleged racist remarks.
Pitroda while describing India’s diversity stated that people in different regions of the country look like Africans, Chinese, Arab and whites.
Criticizing the Congress leader, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote 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!”
While Sarma’s Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma condemned Pitroda’s remarks “calling the people of the Northeast Chinese”.
Manipur CM N Biren Singh, too reacting to the remarks, demanded an apology.
“I condemn Congress leader, Sam Pitroda’s racist comment against the people of Northeast. The Congress has always tried to divide India with their Divide and Rule policy. But they must know that Northeast has been a part of India and will always be. Such a mockery in the India's diversity is highly unacceptable @INCIndia and @sampitroda must publicly apologize,” Singh wrote on X.
Condemning the “disgusting mentality”, Tripura CM Manik Saha said the idea of unity in the midst of diversity is the main mantra of the Indian spirit.
“Although we live in the North East, our thinking is completely Indian. Similarly, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Ahmedabad to Arunachal, all the citizens of the country have one identity as Indian.
“But blinded by the greed of power, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s mentor Sam Pitroda and the discriminatory INDI Alliance mentality has gone so low that they are now judging the people of India by their skin color and face,” Saha wrote on the microblogging site.
