Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 17: Mr Sam Pitroda is at it again. After putting the Congress in embarrassing situations umpteen times with his off-the cuff remarks on various issues, Mr Pitroda, the chairman of the Overseas Congress on Monday again forced his organisation to quickly distance itself from his uncalled for remarks that India should not consider China as its enemy.
Amidst massive BJP backlash, the Congress has distanced itself from Mr Pitroda’s “China is not our enemy” remark. The Congress spokesman Jairam Ramesh, who is also the party’s communications in-charge, said in a post on X that Mr Pitroda’s views did not reflect the party’s stand. “The views reported by Shri Sam Pitroda on China are certainly not the views of the Indian National Congress. China remains our biggest foreign policy, external security, and economic challenge,” his post read.
Mr Pitroda, whose frequent out-of-turn comments keep landing his party in controversies, had said in a recent interview that there was a need to change India’s mindset and New Delhi must stop assuming that China is the enemy.
Mr Pitroda said India’s approach had been confrontational from the beginning. “I believe the time has come for all nations to collaborate, not confront. Our approach has been confrontational from the very beginning, and this attitude creates enemies, which in turn garners support within the country,” he said. “I think we need to change that pattern to assume that China is the enemy from day one. It is not just to China, but to everyone…”
“I don’t know what is the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion because the US has the habit of defining an enemy,” he said.
Mr Pitroda’s come on the heels of a massive controversy over his earlier comment on the country’s diversity that saw him out of office – the Chairman of Overseas Indian Congress — for over a month last year. The comment had triggered allegations of racism and colonial mindset.
He was reinstated in June, after explaining the context of his remarks and claiming that the BJP had maliciously misinterpreted it. At the time, Jairam Ramesh had said that Mr Pitroda had “given an assurance” that he would, in future, leave no room for controversy. Mr Pitroda vociferously contradicted it, saying it was Mr Ramesh’s personal opinion.
This time, Mr Pitroda’s remark flies in the face of the Rahul Gandhi’s assertion in the parliament that India had lost a part of its territory to China, which the government has robustly denied. The BJP on Monday called Mr Pitroda’s remarks a “very deep blow to India’s identity, diplomacy and sovereignty.”
Pradeep Bhandari, a BJP spokesperson, pointed out that Mr Pitroda was a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and accused the Congress of prioritising China’s interest above India’s. “Rahul Gandhi’s right-hand man Sam Pitroda: ‘China isn’t our enemy’! This man sings endless praises of China while Congress party’s signing of MoU in 2008 reveal a cozy betrayal of India’s interests and prioritising China’s! It’s crazy how Congress always manages to keep China and Pakistan’s interests above ours,” he said.
Distancing the Congress from Mr Pitroda’s remarks, Mr Ramesh said “The INC has repeatedly raised questions on the Modi government’s approach to China, including the PM Modi’s public clean chit to it on June 19, 2020. Our most recent statement on China was on January 28, 2025.”
The Congress leader said “It is also extremely regrettable that Parliament is being denied an opportunity to discuss the situation and express a collective resolve to meet these challenges effectively.”
A statement issued by the Congress on January 28, 2025, had said “The Congress party notes the announcement by the Modi government of normalisation of ties with China at a time when there are still many unanswered questions about the disengagement agreement on October 21, 2024. New Delhi and Beijing have agreed to restore commercial and cultural ties including direct flights between the two capitals, resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, liberalised visa regime and other measures following the recent Beijing visit of the Foreign Secretary.”
It further stated that “Yet successive statements by the Ministry of External Affairs casts doubt on whether we have returned to the status quo. Recall what the External Affairs Minister’s statement in Parliament on December 3, 2024 said ‘In a few other places where friction occurred in 2020, temporary and limited measures were implemented based on local conditions, to prevent further friction.’ This clearly alludes to the creation of “buffer zones” areas where our troops and local graziers are now restricted from accessing, despite previously having access.” The statement finally put forth some questions to the Prime Minister which must be answered before normalisation with China can be attempted.
Reacting to Pitroda’s statement, the BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha took a dig at him and in an X post, wrote, “Those who ceded away 40000 square km of our land to China, still see no threat from the Dragon.” “No wonder Rahul Gandhi is in awe of China and was rooting for BRI one day before the IMEEC was announced the crux of Cong party’s obsessive fascination for China, lies hidden in the mysterious 2008 Cong-CCP MOU,” his X post read.
Also speaking to the media, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, “Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, and George Soros work as China’s agents. The secret MOU of 2008, which took place between the Communist Party of China and the Congress Party, that secret (Memorandum of Understanding) MOU has not yet been organised by the Congress Party.” “At the time of Doklam, Rahul Gandhi was secretly meeting China’s ambassador… Sam Pitroda’s statement clarifies that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party have a soft corner for China,” Bhandari said.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States, Trump expressed optimism about future relations with China while acknowledging past tensions, particularly in the wake of Covid-19.
Addressing a joint press conference with PM Modi, Trump addressed ongoing global conflicts, including the India-China border tensions and the war in Ukraine, emphasising the need for de-escalation.
On India-China border skirmishes, Trump acknowledged their intensity and offered to mediate if necessary. He said, “I look at India, I do see the skirmishes on the border, which are quite vicious, and I guess they continue to go on. If I could be of help, I’d love to help, because that should be stopped.”
He said China can play an important role in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, “I don’t want to be naive, but as leaders go, I think we were very close. And I think that China is a very important player in the world. I think they can help us get this war over with Ukraine and Russia.” Trump had also underscored the importance of diplomatic cooperation among major global powers.
