NEW DELHI: Oops! Sam Pitroda did it again. The chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress has yet again made a remark that has triggered a political storm and put the grand old party on the defensive.
Sam Pitroda's "felt at home" remarks sparked a fresh new political debate with his foreign policy advice for the central government involving immediate neighbours.
Advocating for a neighbourhood-first policy, Pitroda said that he had been to Pakistan and "felt at home," given the "common gene pool" shared by the people.
"They are all small, they all need help, they are all going through difficult times and there's no need to fight. Of course there's a problem of terrorism. But at the end of the day, in that neighbourhood, there's common gene pool," Pitroda told IANS.
"I've been to Pakistan, and I must tell you, I felt at home. I've been to Bangladesh, I've been to Nepal, and I feel at home. I don't feel like I'm in a foreign country. They look like me, they talk like me, they like my songs, they eat my food. So, I must learn to live with them in peace and harmony. That's my first priority," he added.
His comment has once again embarrassed the Congress in India. When last time he did, Congress removed him from the post but later added him and again Pitroda did it again.
Here are his 'embarrassing' posts
'To assume that China is the enemy from day one is just not fair, not just to China, but to anybody'
Sam Pitroda, in an interview, said, "I don't know what is the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion".
He argued that India needs to move away from a confrontational mindset and focus on collaboration.
"To assume that China is the enemy from day one is just not fair, not just to China, but to anybody. We need to increase communication, collaborate, cooperate, and co-create rather than operate with a command-and-control mindset," Pitroda said.
US inheritance tax
Pitroda's comments on inheritance tax come against the backdrop of the Congress manifesto talking about addressing "growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies" and Rahul Gandhi's speeches pushing for economic and institutional surveys, along with caste census.
He backed the idea of an inheritance tax and cited the example of the US. "Nothing wrong in accumulating wealth but to what point? Let me tell you, in America there's an inheritance tax. So, if let's say one has $100 million worth of wealth, and when he dies he can transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by govt. Now 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. In India you don't have that. If somebody is worth $10 billion and dies his children get $10 billion. The public gets nothing. So these are the kinds of issues that people will have to debate and discuss."
'South Indians look like Africans'
In one of his interview in May last year, Sam Pitroda compared Indians from different parts of the nation to Chinese, Arabs, Whites and Africans while talking about diversity and democracy in India during an interview.
"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," said the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress.
On Ram Mandir
In June 2023, when the country was waiting for the grand Ram Mandir opening, Pitroda gave BJP ammunition to attack the Congress as he said that temples were not going to solve India’s problems of 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," he said.
On 1984 anti-Sikh riots
In May 2019, Pitroda "hua to hua" (so what) when he was asked about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots."Ab kya hai '84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain'," Pitroda had then said.
Sam Pitroda's "felt at home" remarks sparked a fresh new political debate with his foreign policy advice for the central government involving immediate neighbours.
Advocating for a neighbourhood-first policy, Pitroda said that he had been to Pakistan and "felt at home," given the "common gene pool" shared by the people.
"They are all small, they all need help, they are all going through difficult times and there's no need to fight. Of course there's a problem of terrorism. But at the end of the day, in that neighbourhood, there's common gene pool," Pitroda told IANS.
"I've been to Pakistan, and I must tell you, I felt at home. I've been to Bangladesh, I've been to Nepal, and I feel at home. I don't feel like I'm in a foreign country. They look like me, they talk like me, they like my songs, they eat my food. So, I must learn to live with them in peace and harmony. That's my first priority," he added.
His comment has once again embarrassed the Congress in India. When last time he did, Congress removed him from the post but later added him and again Pitroda did it again.
Here are his 'embarrassing' posts
'To assume that China is the enemy from day one is just not fair, not just to China, but to anybody'
Sam Pitroda, in an interview, said, "I don't know what is the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion".
He argued that India needs to move away from a confrontational mindset and focus on collaboration.
"To assume that China is the enemy from day one is just not fair, not just to China, but to anybody. We need to increase communication, collaborate, cooperate, and co-create rather than operate with a command-and-control mindset," Pitroda said.
US inheritance tax
Pitroda's comments on inheritance tax come against the backdrop of the Congress manifesto talking about addressing "growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies" and Rahul Gandhi's speeches pushing for economic and institutional surveys, along with caste census.
He backed the idea of an inheritance tax and cited the example of the US. "Nothing wrong in accumulating wealth but to what point? Let me tell you, in America there's an inheritance tax. So, if let's say one has $100 million worth of wealth, and when he dies he can transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by govt. Now 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. In India you don't have that. If somebody is worth $10 billion and dies his children get $10 billion. The public gets nothing. So these are the kinds of issues that people will have to debate and discuss."
'South Indians look like Africans'
In one of his interview in May last year, Sam Pitroda compared Indians from different parts of the nation to Chinese, Arabs, Whites and Africans while talking about diversity and democracy in India during an interview.
"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," said the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress.
On Ram Mandir
In June 2023, when the country was waiting for the grand Ram Mandir opening, Pitroda gave BJP ammunition to attack the Congress as he said that temples were not going to solve India’s problems of 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," he said.
On 1984 anti-Sikh riots
In May 2019, Pitroda "hua to hua" (so what) when he was asked about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots."Ab kya hai '84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain'," Pitroda had then said.
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