‘Hua to hua’ to ‘people on the east..’ : 7 remarks by Sam Pitroda that left Congress red-faced

Top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, utilized Pitroda's connection to country the Congress enactment close successful the mediate of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Speaking during an predetermination rally successful Telangana, the Prime Minister demanded a effect from Congress person Rahul Gandhi, saying that the state "won't tolerate disrespect connected the ground of the colour of skin". Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lashed retired astatine Congress person Sam Pitroda for his ‘racist’ remark, saying it reveals the mindset and cognition of Rahul Gandhi’s mentor.

Less than 2 weeks ago, Pitroda has triggered different governmental contention with his connection connected US inheritance taxation law. Later Pitroda clarified connected April 24 that his comments were  twisted to ‘deflect attention’ from the halfway issues.

Pitroda was heard successful an interrogation advocating a US-type inheritance taxation instrumentality successful the country, adjacent arsenic the Congress enactment said his views did not ever bespeak the party's position. Inheritance tax refers to a authorities levy connected the assets an idiosyncratic receives arsenic portion of an inheritance. The US has nary cardinal inheritance tax, though immoderate states person it.

Pitroda’s clarification came aft the Congress enactment distanced itself from his remarks and aft the BJP leaders slammed him implicit his remarks connected the redistribution of wealth.

Also Read: ‘Disgusting’: BJP slams Sam Pitroda implicit 'people successful East look similar Chinese, successful South similar Africans' remark

Addressing a canvass rally astatine Chhattisgarh's Surguja, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the Congress enactment connected Pitroda's remarks. He said the expansive aged party's “dangerous intentions" successful the predetermination manifesto were coming retired successful the open.

What did Sam Pitroda accidental now? 

In an exclusive interrogation with the Statesman, Pitroda described India arsenic a "... divers country.  'We person survived 75 years successful a precise blessed situation wherever radical could unrecorded together, leaving speech a fewer fights present and there. We could clasp a state unneurotic arsenic divers arsenic India, wherever radical connected the eastbound look similar Chinese, radical connected the West look similar Arab, radical connected the North look similar achromatic and possibly radical connected the South look similar Africans," he said.

Like successful the past, the Congress disassociated itself from Pitroda's caller remarks.

This is not the archetypal clip that Pitroda, considered adjacent to the Gandhi family, has enactment the Congress enactment successful the dock. Many of his erstwhile statements, too, triggered a governmental storm

Also Read: Sam Pitroda connected inheritance taxation controversy: ‘Who said this should beryllium done successful India? Why is the BJP successful panic?'

Inheritance Tax Law

Last month, Pitroda was heard, successful an interview, advocating an inheritance taxation instrumentality successful the state portion elaborating connected the conception of inheritance taxation prevailing successful the United States.

The connection assumes value due to the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier this week accused Congress of readying to redistribute the wealthiness of radical among “those with much children," a complaint the expansive aged enactment denied.

“In America, determination is an inheritance tax. If 1 has 100 cardinal USD worthy of wealthiness and erstwhile helium dies, helium tin lone transportation astir apt 45 percent to his children, 55 percent is grabbed by the government. That's an absorbing law. It says you, successful your generation, made wealth, and you are leaving now, you indispensable permission your wealthiness for the public, not each of it, fractional of it, which to maine sounds fair," Pitroda said successful an interview.

The Congress had distanced itself from his statement. 

‘Hua to Hua’ connected 1984 anti-Sikh riots

In May 2019, Pitroda, erstwhile questioned connected the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, acceptable disconnected a tempest by replying “so what" to a question connected the alleged engagement of erstwhile Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi successful the riots.

“Ab kya hai ’84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. You were voted to make jobs. You were voted to make 200 astute cities. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain. (What astir 1984 (riots) now? Talk astir what you did successful the past 5 years. What happened successful 1984 has happened. So what? You were voted to make jobs. You were voted to make 200 astute cities. You did not adjacent bash that. You did nothing, truthful you support talking astir present and there.) Pitroda had said this successful effect to a question connected the BJP’s allegation that the instructions during the anti-Sikh riots successful 1984 came from Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s office.

The remarks during the Lok Sabha elections 2019 had sparked a governmental enactment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi linking these comments to Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi condemned the comments and said Pitroda should apologise.

Pitroda aboriginal apologised for his remarks.

‘Happens each the time’ connected Pulwama attack

In February 2019, Pitroda had questioned the veracity of Balakot aerial strikes by the Indian Air Force successful the aftermath of the Pulwama attacks. Pitroda had besides pitched for a dialog with Pakistan and said it was incorrect to blasted each citizens of the neighbouring state for an onslaught successful which a fewer were involved.

“I don’t cognize overmuch astir attacks. It happens each the time. Attack happened successful Mumbai, also. We could person past reacted and conscionable sent our planes, but that is not the close approach. According to me, that’s not however you woody with the world," Pitroda said, demanding impervious of the IAF’s operation.

Also Read: PM Modi says Congress wants to springiness people's wealthiness to Muslims. Fact cheque connected what Nyay Patra really says…

“Eight radical (26/11 terrorists) travel and bash something, you don’t leap connected full federation (Pakistan). Naive to presume that conscionable due to the fact that immoderate radical came present and attacked, each national of that federation is to beryllium blamed. I don’t judge successful that way," helium had said.

The remarks elicited a effect from PM Modi, who accused Congress of indulging successful ballot slope politics. “But tin this beryllium supra nationalist interest?" the PM had asked, targeting Rahul Gandhi.

Temples won’t make jobs connected Ram Mandir

In June 2023, Pitroda again sparked a enactment erstwhile helium said that temples were not going to lick India’s problems of unemployment, inflation, education, and health.

"No 1 talks astir these things. But everyone talks astir Ram, Hanuman, and Mandir. I person said that temples are not going to make jobs," Pitroda said astatine an lawsuit successful the US. Rahul Gandhi was besides contiguous connected the occasion.

The remarks were criticised by the BJP, with its leaders calling Pitroda and Rahul Gandhi ‘Hinduphobic’. Congress distanced itself from the statement, saying his comments did not bespeak the party's stand.

Nehru, nary Ambedkar connected Constitution

In January 2024, the BJP called Congress an ‘anti-Dalit’ enactment aft Pitroda said that Jawaharlal Nehru contributed much to the drafting of the constitution than BR Ambedkar.

Also Read: Lok Sabha Elections: Targeting PM Modi, BJP would pb to retaliation, says Mayawati's nephew Akash Anand

Pitroda had shared an nonfiction by Sudheendra Kulkarni, a erstwhile adjacent adjutant of BJP seasoned LK Advani, asserting that India’s archetypal Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, contributed much than BR Ambedkar successful the framing of the Constitution.

Pitroda aboriginal deleted the post. Kulkarni is nary longer with the BJP.

‘Selfish middle-class’ connected NYAY scheme

Pitroda near the Congress enactment successful a crockery successful April 2019 erstwhile helium said that the mediate people should not beryllium selfish and should, instead, beryllium prepared to ammunition retired much taxes to money the party’s proposed NYAY strategy promising a guaranteed minimum income for each mediocre household.

“The mediate people should not beryllium selfish and person a large heart," helium said during a TV interview. As expected, Pitroda’s remarks acceptable disconnected a enactment with elder enactment leaders responding to wide the air.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said determination would beryllium nary summation successful the taxation load of the mediate class, and Rahul Gandhi had besides clarified that funds for the NYAY strategy would not travel from people’s taxes.

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Published: 08 May 2024, 06:42 PM IST