Sam Pitroda, Infamous for Embarrassment Sprees, Receives Rahul Gandhi in the US as National Herald Blares at Congress

Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chief Sam Pitroda, no stranger to controversy, was front and centre during Rahul Gandhi ’s recent visit to the United States. Even as the Congress scion attempted to project a modern and forward-looking image to the diaspora, Pitroda’s presence served as an uncomfortable reminder of the party’s long-running image management troubles.

Pitroda, a longtime aide of the Gandhi family and chairman of the IOC, has become infamous over the years for a string of embarrassing public comments that have repeatedly sparked backlash at home. Critics have often pointed out that his interventions, instead of helping the Congress cause, tend to deepen the party's credibility crisis.

A History of Controversial Remarks

Sam Pitroda’s public career is littered with remarks that have drawn sharp criticism across political and public domains. Among the most infamous was his 2019 dismissal of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots with the flippant comment, “Hua toh hua” (“So what if it happened?”)—which was immediately seized upon by the BJP as evidence of Congress's insensitivity.

He has also drawn fire for blaming Indian voters’ ‘lack of education’ for the BJP’s 2019 landslide win, and for his repeated suggestions that issues like nationalism and Hindu identity are being overplayed by the ruling party. He was criticized not only for his loose grasp on facts (In India, the more educated one is, the more urbanized one is, the higher is the likelihood that they have a favorable view of BJP, according to data from multiple surveys. The MLA of Malabar Hill has been from the BJP, for years, and the one from Dharavi has been from the Congress, for years) but also due to his indecency. 

More recently, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Pitroda sparked outrage by making baffling statements about Indians, suggesting that Indians from the southern part of the country are Africans, Indians from eastern part of the country are Chinese and so on. 

These frequent missteps have made him a figure of ridicule even within sections of the Congress party, which often finds itself doing damage control after his interviews.

National Herald Case: Pitroda’s Alleged Role Under Scrutiny

Adding to the tension surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s U.S. visit is the re-emergence of the National Herald case, in which Pitroda’s name has appeared in connection with the financial and administrative affairs of Young Indian Pvt Ltd—the company at the heart of the controversy. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have also been named in the chargesheet. 

Congress’s Optics Problem Abroad

With the National Herald case still active, and Pitroda’s unpredictable public persona adding to the mix, the Congress party’s international messaging faces a serious credibility test. Critics argue that continuing to platform figures like Pitroda undercuts Rahul Gandhi’s own attempts to rebrand himself as a sober, solutions-oriented leader capable of taking on the Modi government.

The Congress will have to decide whether such controversial allies are assets—or liabilities—in its effort to revive its political fortunes. Rahul Gandhi is slated visit Brown University, where he'll be interacting with faculty members and students. In the US, Ivy League universities are under scrutiny due to their failure in combatting anti-Semitism.