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Congress tried to defeat Droupadi Murmu in presidential elections due to her skin colour: PM Modi
PM Modi asserted that the country would not tolerate insult on the basis of skin colour.
The Congress wanted to defeat President Droupadi Murmu in the presidential poll as her "skin colour is dark", Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged on Wednesday, reported PTI.
Modi made the allegation while attacking the Congress over its party leader Sam Pitroda's comments over skin colour and asserted that the country would not tolerate insult on the basis of skin colour. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha elections.
Referring to Pitroda's comment, Modi said: “I was thinking a lot that (President) Droupadi Murmu who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of Adivasi family, then why is Congress trying so hard to defeat her but today I got to know the reason.”
Also Read | PM Narendra Modi slams ‘American uncle’ Sam Pitroda over skin colour remark
“I got to know that there is an uncle in America who is the philosophical guide of 'Shehzada' and just like the third umpire in cricket this 'Shehzada' takes advice from the third umpire.”
Modi further asked whether the ability of people in country will now be decided on the basis of skin colour. "Who gave the permission to 'shehzada' (Rahul) for this game of skin colour," he asked.
What Sam Pitroda said
Sam Pitroda, in an interview with The Statesman earlier this month, said people of different skin colours and appearances live in the country with unity.
“We have survived 70-75 years, in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold the 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, maybe White, and people in South look like Africans. It doesn't matter. We are all brothers and sisters,” he said.
Also Read | Sam Pitroda not new to controversy: 5 times Congress leader's statements stirred up a storm
As the controversy evolved, the BJP termed Sam Pitroda's remark racist and divisive and said that they display the Congress leader's scant understanding of India and its culture.
On its part, the Congress dissociated itself from Sam Pitroda's remark, terming it as ‘unacceptable and unfortunate’.
“The analogies drawn by Mr Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies”, Congress leader and spokesperson Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.
