New Delhi: Amid a massive backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress has distanced itself from its senior leader Sam Pitroda’s remark, “China is not our enemy.”
Taking to X, Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh, who is also the party’s communications in-charge, wrote that the views presented by Pitroda do not reflect the party’s stance. “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.”
He added, “The Congress Party has repeatedly questioned the Modi government’s approach to China, including the clean chit given to China publicly by the Prime Minister on 19 June 2020. Our most recent statement on China was issued on 28 January 2025. It is also extremely unfortunate that Parliament is not being given an opportunity to discuss the situation and express its collective resolve to find effective solutions to these challenges.”
What Pitroda said
Ramesh’s post came soon after Pitroda, who has the habit of courting controversies with his off-the-cuff comments, had remarked in a recent interview that there is a need to change India’s mindset, and New Delhi must stop perceiving China as the enemy.
In the interview given to news agency IANS, Pitroda 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.”
Last year, his remarks on the country’s diversity led to his ouster from the position of Chairman of the Overseas Indian Congress for over a month. After those comments, he had been accused of racism and having a colonial mindset.
He was reinstated in June after clarifying the context of his remarks and contending that the BJP had misinterpreted them. At the time, Jairam Ramesh had stated that Pitroda had “given an assurance” that he would avoid any future controversies. However, Pitroda disagreed with this, stating that it was Ramesh’s personal opinion.
Pitroda’s comment on China comes shortly after Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Parliament, where he contended that India had lost a part of its territory to China. The BJP government strongly denied the assertion.
On Monday, the BJP dubbed Pitroda’s remarks as a “very deep blow to India’s identity, diplomacy and sovereignty”.
