Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chairman Sam Pitroda questioned the perception of China as a threat. The IOC chairman’s remarks drew ire from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused him of undermining India’s sovereignty. The BJP has demanded a clear clarification from the Congress party on Pitro da’s statements. Congress distanced itself from the comments saying that his opinions are ‘not views of the party’ This is not the first time PitroDA’S remarks have put Congress on the defensive. Previously, his comments on wealth redistribution and inheritance tax were seized upon by the BJP to claim \”loot\” the people. The Congress general secretary also used the controversy to launch an attack on the Centre saying that the party has consistently raised questions on the \”Modi govt’s approach to China\” He also claimed that the Parliament was being denied an opportunity to discuss the \”challenges\” posed by China. \”To assume that China is the enemy from day one is just not fair, not just to China, but to anybody. We need to increase communication, collaborate, cooperate, and co-create rather than operate with a command-and-control mindset,\” he said.
