Following Sam Pitroda's resignation as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress amid controversy over his alleged 'racist' remark, the BJP launched a scathing attack on another Congress leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, for his response to Pitroda's statement. Chowdhury's characterisation of Pitroda's remarks as his personal opinion drew criticism from the saffron party, which also condemned Chowdhury's use of 'offensive' language in defense of Pitroda.
In a statement to ANI on Wednesday, Chowdhury said, "We have Proto Australoids, Mongoloid class, Negrita class of people. Hai to hai (It is how it is). In the demography of our country, regional features are different. What someone said is his personal opinion but some people are indeed white, some dark."
Reacting to Chowdhury's statement, BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticised his choice of words, asserting that while the derogatory terms were uttered by Pitroda, the underlying sentiment reflects the Congress ideology.
Notably, in a recent television interview, Pitroda emphasized India's diversity, acknowledging people's varied cultures and colors. While the BJP targeted the Congress over Pitroda's remarks, the party distanced itself from him, leading to Pitroda's resignation.