Congress' divisive politics of colour and region draws Smriti Irani's ire

Union Minister Smriti Irani attacked the Congress over Sam Pitroda's alleged racist remarks, accusing it of dividing Indians based on color and region. Irani also charged the Congress with dividing the country on the basis of religion and caste. Pitroda's comments, made in a podcast, compare India's diverse population to various ethnicities, including Chinese, Arab, and African. Irani condemned the remarks as reflective of Rahul Gandhi's family's thinking. The BJP has fielded Irani from Amethi against Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma. Polling in Amethi will take place on May 20.

Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani Wednesday attacked the Congress on its leader Sam Pitroda's alleged racist remarks and alleged that it (Congress) tries to divide the countrymen on the basis of who is of which colour and who belongs to which region.

Pitroda, who is the chairperson of the Indian Overseas Congress, is reported to have said the ''people of the east look like the Chinese and those of the south look like Africans''.

Another disgusting truth has come to light today that this party (Congress) tries to divide the countrymen on the basis of who is of which colour and who belongs to which region and dares to insult them, Irani said while talking to reporters here.

She also accused the Congress of always dividing the country in the name of religion and caste.

The remarks made by the Congress leader today are not only condemnable but also reflect the thinking of Rahul Gandhi and his family towards our nation, she said while reacting to Pitroda's alleged remarks which have kicked up a row.

In a podcast, Pitroda said, ''We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there... We could hold the country as diverse as India together. Where people in the east look like the Chinese, people in the west look like the Arabs, people in the north look like, maybe, white and people in the south look like Africans.

''It does not matter. All of us are brothers and sisters. We respect different languages, different religions, different customs, different food,'' Pitroda said in the interview that was widely circulated on social media.

The BJP has fielded Irani from Amethi for the third consecutive time. She lost to Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections but defeated him in 2019.

The Congress has fielded Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Nehru-Gandhi family, against Irani from Amethi.

Polling in Amethi is scheduled for May 20.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)