Congress’s Jairam Ramesh said Mr Pitroda’s views did not reflect the party’s stand. He had said in a recent interview that there is a need to change India’s mindset and New Delhi must stop assuming that China is the enemy. The BJP today called the remarks a \”very deep blow to India’s identity, diplomacy and sovereignty\” It accused the Congress of prioritising China’s interest above India’s. The remark flies in the face of the Rahul Gandhi’s assertion in the parliament that India had lost a part of its territory to China, which the government has robustly denied. The comments come on the heels of a massive controversy over his earlier comment on the country’s diversity that saw him out of office – the Chairman of Overseas Indian Congress — for over a month last year. The comment had triggered allegations of racism and colonial mindset. He was reinstated in June, after explaining the context of his remarks and claiming that the BJP had maliciously misinterpreted it.
