'People In East Look Like Chinese...': Sam Pitroda's Take On Diversity In India Backfires As BJP Slams Views

Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda said India is a diverse country with people in east look like Chinese, on west like Arabs, and in south like Africans.

Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda stirred another controversy on Wednesday as his description of Indian diversity backfired with the Bharatiya Janata Party slamming him. Pitroda made the statement days after his comments on inheritance tax triggered an uproar with the saffron party attacking the grand old party. 

In an interview with an English daily, Pitroda spoke on diversity in India saying people in the East look like Chinese, in the West like Arabs, and in the South as Africans.

"We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving a few fights here and there," he said. 

"We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on North look like white and maybe people on South look like Africans," he added. 

He further said that the people of India respect different languages, religions, food, and customs which is distant from region to region. 

"That's the India that I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit," Pitroda said.

BJP Slams Sam Pitroda

The Bharatiya Janata Party slammed Sam Pitroda for his remark saying he does not understand the country. 

"It becomes clear again and again what does Sam Pitroda understands about India. It is clear that he is a failure. He doesn't understand the country," said BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad. "He is Rahul Gandhi's advisor. I can now understand why Rahul Gandhi speaks nonsense...This is the frustration of defeat. They neither understand India nor its heritage," Prasad added. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biwa Sarma said he is from the North East but looks India. "We are a diverse country - we may look different but we are all one."

"Hamare desh ke bare mein thoda to samajh lo! (Understand a bit about our country), he added. 

BJP candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Kangana Ranaut also reacted to Pitroda's "racist" and "divisive jibes". 

"Their whole ideology is about divide & rule. It's sickening to call fellow Indians Chinese and African. Shame on Congress!," she said. 

Congress Distances From Pitroda's Comments 

The Congress was quick to turn on the damage control mode as party General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said that it dissociates from Pitroda's analogy. 

"...Analogies drawn by Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India's diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies," he said.