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Uncle Sam’s 7 Gems: From Racism To Hindumisia To Peddling Pro-Pak Agenda

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Sam Pitroda, former chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, has found himself embroiled in controversy once again. Following the uproar over his remarks on “inheritance tax,” Pitroda has sparked fresh outrage with comments on India’s diversity and Hindu belief.

During an interview with The Statesman, he remarked, “This will ultimately affect our economy, employment, future, safety and security. That’s one view and that centres around the Ram temple, God, history, heritage, Bhagwan (Lord) Hanuman, Bajrang Dal and all kinds of issues. Fine, I respect their view. There is another group which says look our founding fathers fought against the British Raj, not for Hindu Rashtra but for a secular nation. Pakistan decided to create a nation based on religion and see what happened to them. We are a shining example of democracy in the world. We have survived 70-75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving aside a few fights here and there.”

He further stated, “We could hold a country together as diverse as India where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on the North look like maybe White and people in the South look like Africa. Doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters. We all respect different languages. We all respect different religions, different looks, different customs. different food and as a Gujarati, I love dosa, I love idli. That’s my food. That’s no longer South Indian food. Okay, that’s the India I believe in where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit.”

Later Pitroda said, “That idea of India rooted in Democracy, Freedom, Liberty, Fraternity is being challenged by Ram temple and Ram Navami, Prime Minister going to the temple all the time, taking not as a National leader but talking as the leader of BJP”

This time the Congress party has distanced itself from Sam Pitroda’s comments. The general secretary in charge of communication Jairam Ramesh issued an statement via his X handle, expressing that “The analogies drawn by Mr. Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies.” 

This comes at the backdrop with several leaders including the Bharatiya Janata Party have condemned Pitroda, branding him as “racist.”

Past Spark Controversies Of Sam Pitroda

Inheritance Tax Controversy

Last month, Sam Pitroda sparked a debate while discussing the concept of inheritance tax in America. He noted that in the US, individuals with $100 million in wealth could only transfer 45% to their children upon death, with the government claiming the remaining 55%. Pitroda deemed this law fair, suggesting that it ensures a portion of wealth benefits the public. Following the controversy, Pitroda clarified that he had simply used the inheritance tax as an example.

Sam Pitroda said, “In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair. In India, you don’t have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing…So these are the kind of issues people will have to debate and discuss. I don’t know what the conclusion would be at the end of the day but when we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of super-rich only.”

Ram Temple Controversy

In June 2023, ahead of the Ram Mandir’s grand opening, Sam Pitroda’s remarks stirred controversy. He argued that temples wouldn’t address India’s critical issues like unemployment, inflation, education, and health. His comments provided fodder for BJP criticism against the Congress, highlighting a perceived focus on temple construction over socio-economic concerns.

Pitroda remarked, “I’m worried about it because too much importance is given to religion. I see that democracy is being undermined. When the Prime Minister of a country for 10 years does not give a press conference. That bothers me. When the Prime Minister has no problem, giving name to a national stadium in his own name. While he’s alive, that bothers me. So there are signals I’m getting. Which says we are in the wrong direction.”

“When a nation is involved in Ram Temple. That bothers me. To me, religion is a personal thing. Don’t confuse it with the national agenda. The national agenda should focus on education, employment, growth, economy, inflation, health, environment, and pollution. This is not how you build a modern nation…I don’t care what religion you practice. I have to respect you for who you are. And not what religion you follow. I’m not gonna dictate what you eat, or what you pray for, That’s your personal freedom.” added

“And when the entire nation is hung up on Ram Temple and Ram Janmabhoomi. It really upsets me and bothers me…Religion is something very personal. Don’t nationalize it. Don’t use it for political gains. A Prime Minister is spending time in temples all the time. It bothers me. I would rather have him go to schools, libraries and scientific institutions and not visit lots of temples” further added

‘Hua-toh-Hua’ Controversy

In May 2019, Sam Pitroda faced backlash for his dismissive response, “hua toh hua” (“so what”), when questioned about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots although he later apologized. He deflected attention to the current government’s failures, avoiding accountability for the tragic events of 1984.

The Congress party issued a statement distancing from Sam Pitroda’s comments stated, “We continue to support the quest for justice for 1984 riot victims. Any opinion remark made by any individual to the contrary including Sam Pitroda is not the opinion of Congress party”.

Pulwama Attack Commentary

After the Pulwama attack in February 2019, Sam Pitroda ignited controversy by questioning the effectiveness of retaliatory airstrikes on Balakot. His remarks spurred discussions on India’s response to terrorism and appropriate diplomatic strategies during crises. Sam Pitroda asked “I would like to know more as I have read in New York Times and other newspapers, what did we really attack, we really killed 300 people?”  Pitroda claimed that according to global media reports, there were no casualties, whereas a segment of the Indian media stated that 300 terrorists had been eliminated. Further added, “If you say 300 people were killed, we all need to know that, all Indians need to know that. Then comes the global media which says nobody was killed, I look bad as an Indian citizen.”

Nehru vs Ambedkar on Constitution

Referring to an article by Sudheendra Kulkarni, Sam Pitroda asserted on social media that Jawaharlal Nehru played a more significant role than BR Ambedkar in framing the Constitution. His statement triggered debate and was later retracted, underscoring the sensitivity surrounding discussions about the Constitution’s architects.

(Image Credit: OpIndia)

Selfishness Of Middle Class Controversy

Sam Pitroda stirred controversy again in 2019 with remarks suggesting that taxes might increase slightly under the Nyuntam Aay Yojna (NYAY) scheme. He urged the middle class to demonstrate generosity and embrace the idea of increased taxation, stating, “The middle class should not be selfish and should have a ‘big heart’.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently criticized the Congress party for Pitroda’s statement. Modi accused the Congress of intending to burden the middle class with high taxes and regress the country to the era of excessive regulation. During an election rally, he questioned whether the Congress and other parties advocating for higher taxes wished to return to the days of the license raj, characterized by tax rates as high as 70-80 percent.

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