A DAY after the Congress reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of its abroad unit, the BJP stated this was an endorsement by the get together of “all of the objectionable and unsavoury” remarks he had made about Indians, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and the Pulwama terror assault.
The BJP additionally requested whether or not the Congress assertion “distancing” itself from Pitroda’s remarks in the course of the Lok Sabha marketing campaign was “simply to idiot and confuse”
the individuals of the nation. Its spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla stated: “As quickly because the elections are over and Rahul Gandhi is made the Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha, the Congress reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of the Indian Abroad Congress as he’s Rahul Gandhi’s mentor, advisor and guru.”
Pitroda’s reappointment got here weeks after he had resigned following one more controversy over his remarks, in the course of elections. The get together’s communications in-charge, Jairam Ramesh, stated the Congress reappointed Pitroda “on the reassurance that he is not going to in future go away room… (for) controversies to come up”.
However why is the 81-year-old Pitroda so essential to the Congress that it has introduced him again simply days after the election outcomes, leaving itself open to BJP assaults?
As per Congress sources, the reason being Pitroda’s community overseas, which the highest get together management sees as helpful in spreading its message past the nation’s shores.
“Should you see who Pitroda is, you’ll perceive why the Congress can not let him go. He has connections with educational circles in overseas nations, particularly the West. He helps the get together plan occasions in overseas nations. He has good connections throughout the diplomatic group too,” a Congress chief stated.
Pitroda, in actual fact, is the principle organiser of Rahul Gandhi’s visits overseas, in the course of the course of which he usually has interactions at instructional establishments or with consultants in numerous fields.
In February-March 2023, Pitroda was behind the collection of occasions held by Rahul throughout a virtually week-long UK tour, together with an deal with at Cambridge College’s Choose Enterprise Faculty, a dialogue on the Chatham Home assume tank in London, and a gathering with Indian-origin Labour Occasion MP Virendra Sharma.
Indian Abroad Congress secretary Virendra Vashisht advised The Indian Express, “The primary work of our organisation is to unfold the message of the Congress get together and the Gandhian ideology past India. We maintain conversations with the Indian diaspora on social and political points, Pitroda ji’s work in that is instrumental.”
One other get together chief stated Pitroda’s worth boils right down to his long-standing relationship with the Gandhis. “Pitroda used to take Re 1 as wage when he labored for Rajiv Gandhi ji. Pitroda has stood with the Gandhi household by means of thick and skinny. Now that the Congress get together is in a great place within the nation, it might not abandon the veteran chief. These items matter to the Congress,” the chief stated.
Primarily based in Chicago, Pitroda describes himself as a “telecom inventor, entrepreneur, growth thinker and coverage maker” on his web site. Having first acquired related to the Congress as an adviser to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he had gone on to grow to be the primary chairman of the Telecom Fee in 1989.
Later, Pitroda headed the Nationwide Data Fee from 2005 to 2009 underneath PM Manmohan Singh. In 2009, when Manmohan Singh returned as PM, Pitroda was appointed as an adviser on public data infrastructure, with the rank of a Cupboard minister.
In the latest controversy triggered by his remarks, Pitroda, when talking of India’s variety, on the top of the Lok Sabha ballot marketing campaign, stated: “Folks within the East appear to be the Chinese language, individuals within the West appear to be the Arabs, individuals within the North appear to be, possibly, White and folks within the South appear to be Africans… It doesn’t matter. All of us are brothers and sisters.”
The BJP stated Pitroda’s feedback had been proof of the Congress’s makes an attempt to divide the nation on the strains of race, faith and caste.
Simply days earlier than this assertion, amidst the BJP’s assaults on the Congress manifesto relating to distribution of belongings, Pitroda described the inheritance tax in the USA as an “fascinating regulation”.
Congress leaders admitted in non-public on the time that Pitroda had grow to be a “recurring offender”, and {that a} “stern message” wanted to be despatched to him.
Pitroda additionally threatened to shake the Congress’s tightrope stroll within the run-up to the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya when the BJP was accusing Opposition events of disregarding Lord Ram and hurting sentiments.
“When all the nation is hung up on Ram Temple and Ram Janmabhoomi, it bothers me… To me, faith is one thing very private,” Pitroda stated.
Earlier, forward of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Pitroda had stated in a TV interview that the center class needs to be ready to pay extra taxes to ensure minimal revenue for all poor households, asking them to not be “egocentric”. Senior Congress chief P Chidambaram needed to make clear there can be no extra tax burden on the center class if the Congress returned to energy.
Then got here his remarks on the counter-strike in Balakot by the Modi authorities, saying: “Assault occurred in Mumbai additionally. We may have then reacted and simply despatched our planes. However that isn’t the right method. Eight individuals (26/11 terrorists) come and do one thing, you don’t leap on all the nation (Pakistan).”
Throughout the identical elections, when the BJP accused Rajiv of getting given the “directions” for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Pitroda denied the cost and added: “Now what’s there to say about 1984? Discuss what you probably did within the final 5 years. ’84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya (What occurred in 1984 occurred. What have you ever achieved)?”
Pitroda later apologised for his remarks and the Congress issued a clarification.