Arunachal: TIMAP demands apology from Cong and Sam Pitroda for his “People in East look like Chinese” remark

After drawing flak from CMs and Ministers of Northeast for his remark, “People in East look like Chinese”, The Tribal Identity Movement Arunachal Pradesh (TIMAP) today demanded an apology from Sam Pitroda for the same. 

Pitroda has been in the eye of yet another storm after his exclusive interview with the daily, The Statesman, where he described India as a “… diverse country… where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa”.

TIMAP strongly condemned Pitroda’s remark and termed it as “derogatory and insulting” for all the people from Northeast.

The organisation staged a protest at Itanagar Tennis Court and also burnt effigy of senior congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi.

TIMAP sought an apology from all the state units of Congress and said that Sam Pitroda should apologise to the Northeastern community for his remark. 

“India’s diversity is the heart and soul of India’s identity and this diversity has been celebrated as only Indian, only Bhartiya for ages. But people like Sam Pitroda who tends to keep themselves in the limelight try to create a divisive and alien identity among the people by stating the North people look like Whites, people in the West look like Arabs, people in the South look like Africans and people in the East look like Chinese,” said the organisation.

The Organisation said that it held the Indian National Congress party equally responsible for holding such divisive beliefs against the people of Northeast India. 

“It seems the very DNA of the Indian National Congress party has failed to understand the stances of brothers and sisters of Northeast India and Pitroda’s remarks are nothing new in reflecting the true nature of the party against the people of Northeastern region,” the organisation added.

Yesterday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma slammed Pitroda over his remark.

Condemning the remark, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh vowed to take legal action against Pitroda.

Assam CM Sarma said that though he comes from the Northeast, he looks like an Indian.

It needs to be mentioned here that Pitroda was the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress but he had stepped down yesterday amid the raging controversy over his looks remark.

Earlier last month, Pitroda had raked up a political storm with his comments on inheritance tax that put the Congress in a very uncomfortable situation more so as the Lok Sabha elections are on.

Also Read: NE CMs slam Sam Pitroda for his remark, “People in East look like Chinese”