 "Sam Pitroda sparks row again with illegal migrants settling in India remark")
The Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, has once again stirred controversy with his remarks on the settlement of illegal migrants in India. Pitroda, a close aide of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, expressed his support for the settlement of illegal migrants in the country and criticised the Centre for failing to address the issue effectively, in a now-viral video.
Ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, Pitroda reportedly said that if migrants wished to enter India, even illegally, they should be allowed to come, emphasising inclusivity. He suggested that citizens should be willing to share resources, even if it meant enduring some hardships, and accused others of prioritising self-interest over collective responsibility.
“We should include everybody. If we have to suffer a little bit, it’s okay. But, nobody wants to share (resources). They want to keep their pie bigger and bigger,” Pitroda reportedly said. His remarks sparked strong reactions, especially with the issue of illegal immigration becoming a critical topic in the political discourse ahead of the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections.
BJP calls Pitroda’s remarks ‘outrageous’
BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari strongly condemned Pitroda’s comments. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bhandari described the remarks as ‘outrageous’ and ‘irresponsible’, accusing Pitroda of advocating for illegal migrants to settle in India at the expense of the country. He further alleged that Congress had been working for decades to facilitate the settlement of illegal immigrants in India.
“Now you wonder how Congress, since the last 70 years, worked overtime to settle illegals in our country!” he said.
Bhandari also criticised the Congress party, saying it had spent the last 70 years enabling the settlement of illegal migrants. The BJP further alleged that the ruling AAP in Delhi was creating fake Aadhaar cards for Bangladeshi infiltrators and using them as a ‘vote bank’ for the upcoming elections.
This is not the first time Pitroda has made controversial statements. During the Lok Sabha elections last year, he reportedly made remarks about the physical appearances of people from different parts of India, comparing them to Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and Africans. His comments then had also drawn widespread criticism.