HT Digital,
Congress, May 8: Sam Pitroda has resigned from his role as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress following his controversial racist remarks. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accepted his resignation, confirmed by Jairam Ramesh.
Pitroda’s comments about the appearance of Indians from diverse regions sparked widespread political outrage during the Lok Sabha elections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemning his statements.
Pitroda, now based in the United States, served as an advisor to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was later invited by ex-PM Manmohan Singh to helm the National Knowledge Commission of India following the UPA’s 2004 general election victory.
In 2009, he assumed the role of advisor to Manmohan Singh on public information infrastructure. Despite being involved in previous controversies, this incident has proven particularly damaging for the Congress, who swiftly distanced themselves from Pitroda’s comments, describing them as unfortunate.
