Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress and a close aide to Rahul Gandhi, has sparked controversy again with his comments on illegal migrants settling in India. He believes that India should welcome these migrants, even if they enter the country illegally, and has criticised the government for not addressing the issue effectively.

“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,” Pitroda stated.

He suggested that the Centre should prioritise addressing critical global concerns like climate change instead of focusing on immigration issues. His remarks have sparked significant reactions, particularly as illegal immigration remains a contentious topic in the political discourse leading up to the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections.

The subject of illegal Bangladeshi immigration has once again become a central theme in the political narrative ahead of the February 5 polls.

The BJP has alleged that the ruling AAP is complicit in creating fake Aadhaar cards for Bangladeshi infiltrators. They accused Delhi’s ruling party of exploiting these individuals as a “vote bank” for the upcoming elections.

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari was quick to slam Sam Pitroda's statement supporting the permanent settlement of illegal migrants in India, labelling it "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 penned in an X post. “Now you wonder how Congress for the last 70 years worked overtime to settle illegals in our country!” he further wrote.

This is not the first time Sam Pitroda has stirred controversy. During last year’s Lok Sabha elections, the Congress leader remarked, “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.”