Amid outrage, Sam Pitroda clarifies his remarks after saying he 'felt at home' when he was in Pakistan

Amid outrage over his remark on Pakistan, Congress leader Sam Pitroda on Friday issued a clarification. The chairperson of the Indian Overseas Congress said earlier in the day that he "felt at home" when he was in Pakistan, drawing flak from the BJP.

Clarifying his controversial remarks, Pitroda said by "feeling at home" in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, he meant to highlight the shared history and people-to-people relationship. He added that he did not mean to "ignore pain, conflict, or the grave challenges we face from terror and geopolitical tensions."

Pitroda added that it was not his intention to "belittle anyone's suffering or undermine legitimate concerns, but to foster honest conversation, empathy, and a more grounded and responsible approach to how India sees itself - and is seen - by others."

The controversy erupted after Pitroda spoke to IANS in an interview, where he said India must prioritise its neighbours, extending support and cooperation even in the face of violence and terrorism. 

"Of course, there is a problem of violence; of course, there is a problem of terrorism. All that is there, but at the end of the day, in that neighbourhood, there is a common gene pool. I've been to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. I don't feel like I'm in a foreign country," the Congress leader said.

"They look like me, they talk like me, they like my songs, they eat my food. We must learn to live with them in peace and harmony," he further said.

In 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Pitroda made another controversy, saying Indians in the East look like the Chinese while those in the South resemble Africans. Though Congress removed him from the post, he was reinstated after the elections.