Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, has sparked controversy with his recent comments in an interview with The Statesman. Talking about India’s diverse nature, he said, people from the ‘east look like the Chinese, people in the west look like the Arabs, people in the north look like, maybe, white and people in the south look like Africans’.
![Pranitha Subhash (left), Congress leader Sam Pitroda. Photo courtesy: Free Press Journal](https://wp-rewamp.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Pranitha-Sam-1024x576.webp)
Pitroda’s racist comment drew sharp criticism from people on social media, including actress Pranitha Subhash, known for her roles in Kannada films. She responded on her X account to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s tweet, addressing Pitroda’s remarks, stating, “I am a South Indian! And I look Indian #SamPitroda.”
Nirmala Sitharaman, who hails from Tamil Nadu, said, “I am from South India. I look Indian! My team has enthusiastic members from northeast India. They look Indian! My colleagues from west India look Indian! But, for the racist who is the mentor of Rahul Gandhi, we all look African, Chinese, Arab and white! Thanks for revealing your mindset and your attitude.”
Meanwhile, Subhash made her Bollywood debut with Hungama 2. Her last Hindi film was Bhuj: The Pride of India, with Ajay Devgn.
On the work front, she was last seen in Malayalam film, Thankamani, which was released in March 2024.
(The article is published under a mutual content partnership arrangement between The Free Press Journal and Connected to India)