The Bharatiya Janata Party has hit out at the Congress after chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda allegedly advocated for illegal migrants to settle in India and criticised the Centre for its failure to address the issue.
Sharing a video clip on X, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari wrote, “OUTRAGEOUS! Rahul Gandhi’s right hand man Sam Pitroda’s statement advocating for illegal migrants to settle in India, even at the country’s expense, is shocking and irresponsible.”
“Now you wonder how Congress since the last 70 years worked overtime to settle ILLEGALS in our country!” Pradeep Bhandari added.
HT.com couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Also Read | Sam Pitroda back as Indian Overseas Congress chief, days after ‘racist comment’ exit
Sam Pitroda is yet to issue a clarification over the latest controversy.
In the video, Sam Pitroda is purportedly heard saying, “If they want to come here, even illegally, let them come. We should include everybody. If we have to suffer a little bit, it’s okay. We will share but nobody wants to share. They want to keep their pie bigger and bigger.”
Speaking on the Centre’s crackdown on illegal migrants, Sam Pitroda said the government should focus more on addressing issues that matter to the public, such as global warming, rather than only tackling migration.
Sam Pitroda’s purported comments come at a time when the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigration has re-emerged as a key political narrative ahead of the February 5 Delhi assembly election.
On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath claimed that ruling Aam Aadmi Party committed “sin” by providing Aadhaar to Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in south Delhi’s Okhla.
The BJP has accused the AAP of using them as a “vote bank” for the upcoming polls.
Nearly a year after his controversial “racist” remark on India’s diversity sparked political slugfest, Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda has once again found himself in soup as he reflected upon illegal migrants in the country.
Pitroda, a close aide of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, advocated for illegal migrants to settle in India and criticised the Centre for its failure to address the issue.
This is not the first time Sam Pitroda courted controversy. During the Lok Sabha elections last year, the senior Congress leader said, “Northeast people look like Chinese, people in the west look like Arabs, people in the north look like white and the south look like Africa.”
5 times Sam Pitroda stroke controversy
Inheritance tax: Last year, Sam Pitroda stoked a controversy while speaking about the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America and said these are issues that need to be discussed. “In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair,” Sam Pitroda had said. After the comments snowballed into a controversy, Pitroda sought to downplay the issue, saying he had only cited inheritance tax in the US as an example.
Ram Mandir controversy: In June 2023, amid anticipation for the grand opening of the Ram Mandir, Sam Pitroda sparked controversy by asserting that temples wouldn’t address India’s pressing issues such as unemployment, inflation, education, and health. His remarks provided the BJP with ammunition to criticise the Congress, emphasising the prioritisation of temple discourse over socio-economic concerns.
1984 anti-Sikh riots: In May 2019, Sam Pitroda drew ire by dismissively remarking “hua to hua” (so what) when questioned about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He redirected the discussion to the incumbent government’s failures to fulfill promises, deflecting accountability for the tragic events of 1984.
Pulwama attack remarks: During the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in February 2019, Sam Pitroda ignited controversy by questioning the efficacy of retaliatory airstrikes conducted by the Indian Air Force on Balakot. His remarks stirred debate on India’s response to terrorist incidents and the appropriate diplomatic approach to such crises.
Nehru vs Ambedkar on Constitution: Referencing an article by Sudheendra Kulkarni, Sam Pitroda asserted in a social media post that Jawaharlal Nehru contributed more significantly than BR Ambedkar to the framing of the Constitution. His statement sparked debate and was later retracted, highlighting the sensitive nature of discussions regarding the Constitution’s architects.