KOHIMA: After Sam Pitroda's 'racist' remarks that triggered a row in the country, Nagaland Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along said that the Congress has shown its true colours and Pitroda should apologize to the people of the country.
"The Congress party has shown its true colour in the form of Mr. Sam Pitroda, who is the ideologue of the policies of the Congress party. Never too late, but in time they have shown the divisive policies to divide the country by its racist remarks. Mr. Sam has to seek an apology from the countrymen," Along said speaking to ANI on Wednesday.
Strongly condemning Pitroda's remarks, Along said that people should learn about the Congress' intention to divide India.
"We the north-eastern people do not look like Chinese. We are all Indians. Some are Nagas, some are Mizos, Manipuris, from Arunachal, Sikkim, some are Assamese, from Tripura, some are Garos, Khasis, and Jaintias, but all of us belong to this country, India. His racist remark should be condemned by one and all. The people of the nation should see in this man's remarks, that is racist, and communal, its intention to divide India and should put them in place," the Nagaland Minister said.
Urging people to be careful about the Congress, Along said, "This is what they have been playing for many decades. And the young people of this country should see through their policies," he added.
The Nagaland Minister said that the remarks made by Pitroda show the lowest the Congress party can stoop to. "After remarking South Indians as Africans, West Indians as Arabs and the northerners as whites and the people of the North East as Chinese, this is the lowest that Mr. Sam Pitroda and the Congress party can go to," Along said.
The Nagaland Minister said that at a time when the nation is striving to be one of the most developed nations globally, Pitroda's comments come as a ‘distortion’.
"At this time when the nation is building its agenda to come forward as one of the most developed nations in this world and to be together in its striving for prosperity and development, and for being together as one nation-Shresht Bharat Ek Bharat. They have completely distorted everything," Along said.
Along pointed out that the motive behind Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is completely different from Sam Pitroda's remarks, which is the ‘real agenda’ of the Congress.
"Rahul ji's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is completely different from what Mr. Sam Pitroda his main right-hand man has spoken. He has completely divided the nation. This is their real agenda," he said.
Condemning Sam Pitroda's remarks, Along said, "We the people of the North East and the people of the country should be aware of the sinister designs of the Congress party to destroy our nation. This is their ideology. All the people of this nation should condemn such cowardly, racist designs."
Following the row, the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda stepped down from his post on Wednesday. Pitroda stirred controversy after remarking that Indians in the East resemble the Chinese while those in the South look like Africans.
Pitroda, in an interview with 'The Statesman', while reflecting upon the democracy in India said, "We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people in the East look like Chinese, people in the West look like Arab, people in the North look like white and maybe people in the South look like Africans." (ANI)
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