Sam Pitroda Re-Appointed Chairman Of Indian Overseas Congress

Earlier in May, Pitroda had resigned as the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress amid controversies over his remark.  

Sam Pitroda re-appointed as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress.

Source : Getty Images

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, a month after he resigned from the post following some controversial remarks in the middle of Lok Sabha elections which the BJP termed as racist.

 

Pitroda, who is considered a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, resigned from the post on May 8, and his resignation was accepted by the Congress chief. Congress president has reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress with immediate effect, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in a statement. 

 

Earlier in May, Pitroda had resigned as the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress amid controversies over his remark. Pitroda had stoked a major controversy with his remarks during a podcast where he cited ethnic and racial identities like Chinese, Africans, Arabs and Whites to describe the physical appearance of Indians from different parts of the country.

Sam Pitroda re-appointed as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress with immediate effect pic.twitter.com/JZNb5P3PCD

— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2024

Earlier during the Lok Sabha campaign, Pitroda's reference to inheritance tax in the United States as an interesting law while discussing the Congress's Lok Sabha poll manifesto was latched onto by the BJP to accuse the opposition party of eying citizens' assets as part of its redistribution of wealth policy.

Reacting to the re-appointment of Sam Pitroda, BJP attacked the Congress, saying, “The tormentor of middle class is back.”

The tormentor of middle class is back… Congress hoodwinks India, brings back Sam Pitroda soon after elections. हुआ तो हुआ। pic.twitter.com/kiK3lFq1QN

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 26, 2024

"The tormentor of middle class is back… Congress hoodwinks India, brings back Sam Pitroda soon after elections," BJP leader Amit Malviya said.

Who Is Sam Pitroda? A Long-Standing Figure In Congress Circles

Sam Pitroda, known for his controversial remarks on sensitive topics, has been a top figure within the Congress party for years. He has been referred to as Rahul Gandhi’s “mentor,” and played a crucial role in crafting the party’s manifesto and political strategies for years. The veteran leader was an advisor to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. 

As the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, his responsibility has been to bolster the party’s global presence and enhance Gandhi’s image internationally.

However, his tenure has been marred by many controversies. In the lead-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he faced backlash for his remarks on the 1984 anti-sikh rights, where he appeared to downplay the severity of the violence.