Sam Pitroda resigns as Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accepted his resignation

He resigned in the wake of his racist remarks against Indians

Sam Pitroda has tendered his resignation as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress following a heated backlash over his recent racist remarks. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has formally accepted Pitroda’s resignation.

“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,” announced Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday.

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

The controversy erupted earlier in the day when Pitroda made a comparison between Indians from various regions and other ethnic groups during an interview, sparking widespread outrage.

Also read: LS 2024: ‘Hua-to-hua’ motormouth Sam Pitroda and his gaffes push Congress deeper into embarrassment? 

“We are a shining example of democracy in the world…we could hold country together as diverse as India where people in East look like Chinese, people in West look like Arab, people in North look like maybe white and people in South look like Africa. Doesn’t matter, we are all brothers and sisters,” Pitroda remarked.

The clip of Pitroda’s statement quickly went viral on social media, drawing condemnation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Telangana rally. “I am very angry today… I am very angry with the remark made by Sam Pitroda,” asserted the PM, denouncing the statement as reflective of a “racist mentality.”

Modi further linked Pitroda’s comment to Congress’s decision to field a candidate against Droupadi Murmu in the 2022 presidential election.