'Let them come...': Pitroda's remarks on illegal migrants spark row
What's the story
Sam Pitroda, a close aide of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has once again sparked controversy by supporting the settlement of illegal migrants in India.
Criticizing the central government's stance on migration, Pitroda said, "If they want to come here, even illegally, let them come. We should include everybody."
He proposed that India should be more open to sharing resources and focusing on global issues like climate change over migration concerns.
Political backdrop
Pitroda's remarks come amid Delhi elections
Pitroda's comments come at a time when the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigration has returned as a key political narrative ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections on February 5.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of making fake Aadhaar cards for Bangladeshi infiltrators to use them as a "vote bank."
BJP response
BJP reacts to Pitroda's remarks on illegal migrants
BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari has hit back at Pitroda's comments, calling them "outrageous" and "shocking."
Taking to social media, Bhandari wrote, "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."
He also slammed the Congress party's historical attitude toward settling illegal migrants in India.
Past controversies
Pitroda's history of controversial remarks
Notably, this isn't the first time Pitroda has found himself in the middle of a controversy.
During last year's Lok Sabha elections, he made controversial remarks about how people from different regions in India looked.
He had said, "Northeast people look like Chinese, people in the west look like Arabs, people in the north look like white, and the south look like Africa."