BJP hits out at Pitroda's controversial illegal migration remarks, calls it 'outrageous'

Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lashed out at Congress leader Sam Pitroda following his controversial remarks in favour of allowing illegal migrants to settle in India. Pitroda, who is the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, also criticised the central government for its failure to address the issue of illegal immigration.

This statement from Pitroda comes nearly a year after his previous controversial comments about India’s diversity, which had sparked a major political debate.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari took to social media platform X to express outrage over Pitroda's latest remarks.

In a video shared on his account, Bhandari wrote, “OUTRAGEOUS! Rahul Gandhi’s right-hand man Sam Pitroda’s statement advocating for illegal migrants to settle in India, even at the country’s expense, is shocking and irresponsible.”

Bhandari continued, “Now you wonder how Congress, since the last 70 years, worked overtime to settle ILLEGALS in our country!”

Pitroda has not yet issued any clarification regarding his remarks.

Pitroda’s comments on illegal migration

In the video clip that has sparked controversy, Pitroda is purportedly heard saying, “If they want to come here, even illegally, let them come. We should include everybody. If we have to suffer a little bit, it’s okay. We will share but nobody wants to share. They want to keep their pie bigger and bigger.”

These comments have drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, which has accused the Congress of fostering a lax approach towards illegal immigration.

Further elaborating on the issue, Pitroda also critiqued the central government’s crackdown on illegal migration, suggesting that the administration should focus more on addressing global issues like climate change rather than solely focusing on migration.

Pitroda stated that migration, in his view, should not be handled with as much emphasis as other pressing issues that matter to the public.

Political tming and relevance

Pitroda’s comments come at a time when illegal Bangladeshi immigration has become a prominent political issue, especially with the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 5. The BJP has used the issue to question the opposition's stance on illegal immigration, with particular focus on the role of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Yogi Adityanath's allegations

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath added fuel to the fire, claiming on Tuesday that the ruling AAP had committed a “sin” by allegedly providing Aadhaar cards to Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in the Okhla area of south Delhi. The BJP has accused AAP of using these migrants as a “vote bank” ahead of the forthcoming Delhi elections.

(Agency inputs)