CMs slam Sam Pitroda's colour of citizens' remark, demand apology

Guwahati/Kohima/Agartala, May 8: Several Chief Ministers and leaders from the northeastern states condemned Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remark on the 'colour of citizens' and demanded his apology.

In an interview, Pitroda reportedly described India as a "... diverse country... where people of East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people of North look like maybe White and people in South look like African".

Reacting to Pitroda's remark, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X: "Sam bhai, I am from the North East and I look like an Indian. We are a diverse country - we may look different but we are all one. Hamare desh ke bare mein thoda to samajh lo!"

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju -- who is from Arunachal Pradesh -- describing Pitroda's remark as "most unfortunate", posted on X: "Rahul Gandhi's Chief Adviser says, South Indians look like Africans, all North-Eastern people look Chinese, West Indians are like Arabs & North Indian are whites. The tone & tenor of this statement is to divide India.. Shameful!"

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that the idea of unity in the midst of diversity is the main mantra of the Indian spirit.

"Although we live in the North East, our thinking is completely Indian. Similarly, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Ahmedabad to Arunachal, all the citizens of the country have one identity as Indian. But blinded by the greed of power, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's mentor Sam Pitroda and the discriminatory INDI Alliance mentality has gone so low that they are now judging the people of India by their skin color and face. I strongly condemn this disgusting mentality," Saha posted on X.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said: "We are proud Indians. He should apologise to everyone for the racist remarks. Some elements are trying to divide us but we won't allow them do so."

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also condemned the remarks.

Nagaland Higher Education and Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along said that the Congress has often resorted to divisive tactics through their "Divide and Rule" policy.

"However, they must understand that the northeastern region has always been an integral part of India and will continue to be so. Mocking the diversity of our great nation is entirely unacceptable. It is imperative that both Congress and Sam Pitroda publicly apologise for this derogatory remark," Along said on X.

The first woman Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland S. Phangnon Konyak said: "Far from your Chinese, African, Arab and White classification, we're all Bharatiyas, Mr. Sam Pitroda. We may belong to different regions but we are all Bharatiyas."

Reacting to Pitroda's remark, Congress General Secretary and Communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh took to X and said that the party does not support his views and described it as "unfortunate and unacceptable".