Sam Pitroda, the head of Congress Overseas, has made a full statement about the current uproar over his comments about feeling “at home” in nearby countries, especially Pakistan. Pitroda made the comments during an interview in which he called for India to work more closely with its neighbors. The BJP instantly criticized them.
Pitroda said in his clarification that he meant to stress the “shared history and people-to-people bonds” that exist in the area. He said that what he said was “not to ignore pain, conflict, or the serious problems we face from terrorism and geopolitical tensions.” He stressed that his purpose was to “encourage honest conversation, empathy, and a more grounded and responsible way” for India to deal with its neighbors. Pitroda also said that he never meant to “make anyone’s suffering seem less important or undermine legitimate concerns.”
Pitroda’s comments in an interview with IANS sparked the issue. He said that India ought to put its neighbors first, even when there is violence and terrorism. He is believed to have said during the interview, “I’ve been to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.” I don’t feel like I’m in an other nation. He went on to say, “Of course there is a problem with violence; of course there is a problem with terrorism.” There is all of that, but at the end of the day, there is a common gene pool in that neighborhood.
The BJP quickly spoke out against the comments. Shehzad Poonawalla, the national spokesperson for the party, went on X (previously Twitter) to say that the Congress has a “undying love” for Pakistan. Poonawalla’s tweet connected Pitroda’s words to past problems and said, “Why is it surprising? The Congress loves Pakistan more than anything else.” They even talked to Hafiz Saeed through Yasin Malik! He was talking about what Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik said recently in a Delhi High Court filing. He said that previous Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had complimented him for meeting with Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Pitroda ended his statement by saying again that his main goal has always been to bring attention to important issues in India, such as “concerns about the electoral process, the importance of civil society and youth, and India’s role – both in its neighborhood and globally.”