“China Not Our Enemy”: Sam Pitroda Faces Backlash After Remarks

Sam Pitroda, an old Congress man and the head of the party’s overseas wing, has been brought into the eye of the storm again following his controversial statement on China. Pitroda, as a person not new to controversy, proposed that the threat of China to India is sometimes overstated and that India should no longer see its neighboring country as an adversary.

His remarks have elicited harsh criticism from the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which alleged that the Congress party pursued an “obsessive fascination for China.”

Controversial Comments by Sam Pitroda on China

In an interview to IANS, Pitroda asserted that India’s stance towards China has always been “confrontational” and that the perception needs to be changed. He suggested that the threat from China is often blown out of proportion, adding, “I don’t understand the threat from China. I think this issue is often blown out of proportion because the U.S. has a tendency to define an enemy. I believe the time has come for all nations to collaborate, not confront.”

Pitroda further stated, “Our approach has been confrontational from the very beginning, and this attitude creates enemies, which in turn garners support within the country. We need to change this mindset and stop assuming that China is the enemy from day one.”

These comments came amid ongoing tensions between India and China, which had seen violent clashes along the border in 2020, followed by disengagement talks. Pitroda’s remarks echo those made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently claimed in Parliament that India had lost territory to China, a statement the government has rejected.

BJP’s Strong Response to Pitroda’s Remarks

The BJP was quick to condemn Pitroda’s comments. Tuhin Sinha, the national spokesperson for the BJP, pointed out the Congress party’s historical ties to China, particularly citing a 2008 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Congress and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He commented, “Those who ceded away 40,000 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 Congress party’s obsessive fascination for China, lies hidden in the mysterious 2008 Cong-CCP MOU.”

This 2008 MoU was entered into for the “top-level, information and cooperation” between the two political parties. The BJP has repeatedly called it a “secret deal,” which the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed under the Right to Information Act (RTI) in 2020.

BJP Accuses Congress of Prioritizing China’s Interests

‘China isn’t our enemy’! This, however, is a man singing unending symphonies of praise about China, when in 2008 Congress party’s signing of MOU itself shows a quiet retreat and sabotage of India’s interest in favor of China!

Bhandari then ramped up the rhetoric, accusing Rahul Gandhi’s political moves as having the accompaniments of foreign powers. He said, “Rahul Gandhi’s remote control is in the hand of George Soros and China.”

The Border Dispute and India-China Tensions

Pitroda’s remarks are at a time of protracted frictions between India and China-bordered disputes in particular. In 2020, violent clashes between Indian and Chinese forces resulted in the loss of lives, leading to heightened security concerns. India turned down US president Donald Trump’s offer to mediate the dispute in 2020, and the impasse is one of the focal points of Indian foreign policy.

The losing of Indian land to China has been raised by the opposition party, Congress, and Rahul Gandhi has blamed China for having occupied 4,000 sq km of Indian territory, a claim refuted by India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh.

Pitroda’s History of Controversial Statements

This is not the first time Sam Pitroda has sparked controversy with his remarks. In 2024, he garnered media attention for remarks about Indian diversity that were deemed racist, thus provoking the ire of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After a public uproar, Pitroda stepped down from his post as Congress overseas chief but returned after seven weeks.

He also stirred controversy during the general elections the previous year with a statement regarding inheritance tax, which the BJP used to accuse Congress of planning to redistribute the wealth of Indians if voted into power.