Sam Pitroda re-appointed as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress month after quitting

Sam Pitroda was on Wednesday (June 26) re-appointed as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, just a month after he resigned over controversial remarks.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) in a press release said that Pitroda was re-appointed to the position with immediate effect.

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Pitroda had stirred a political furore last month by his remarks about India's diversity.

While speaking to The Statesman, Pitroda said how India's people "survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving a few fights here and there."

“We could hold together a country as diverse as India — where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arabs, people on the North look like maybe Whites and people in South India look like Africans. It doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters."

"We all respect different languages, different religions, customs and food. That's the India that I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit," he added.

His comments triggered a national outrage with several BJP leaders condemning him for the remarks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to the comments made by the senior Congress leader calling them extremely "shameful".

"A close aide of Congress and biggest adviser of 'Prince' (Rahul Gandhi), what he said is very shameful. Congress feels that people of Northeast look like Chinese. Can a country accept such things?" PM Modi said.

"Congress feels that the people of South India look like Africans. I want to ask the Congress chief ministers of Karnataka and Telangana, can they accept such opinions?" he added.

Pitroda's resignation

Following the intense backlash, Pitroda resigned from his post.

His decision to step down was announced by Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh via a post on social media platform X.

"Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision," the post mentioned.

(With inputs from agencies)