Delhi BJP leaders and workers on Thursday held a massive protest against the controversial remarks made by Sam Pitroda near the Congress headquarters here, demanding an apology from party leaders including Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking during the protest, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva accused the Congress of trying to divide the people and said such remarks are a direct hit on the cultural diversity of the nation

Displaying banners and placards, the protestors raised slogans like “Rahul Gandhi Maafi Mango… Maafi Mango”, “Rang Bhedi Tippani Nahi Chalegi… Nahi Chalegi.”

Sachdeva said going by the statements, especially racist comments, of Congress leaders, they assess the people based on the colour of their skin. This, he said is nothing but a direct insult to the cultural integrity of the country.

The BJP leader claimed that the remarks have come up at a time when Congress is fearing defeat after the three phases of Lok Sabha elections. “This is not a mere statement, but a deliberate attempt to divide people based on their skin tone,” Sachdeva alleged.

Claiming that the comments made by the Congress leader were not normal, he called them verbal abuse of every Indian. The comments are an attempt to snatch away the right of the people to be identified as Indian.

“Rahul Gandhi will have to apologise along with the Congress leaders,” he demanded.

Sachdeva recalled that the same Congress leader had earlier said that the party would get a survey done on property and the wealth re-distributed.

Speaking on the occasion, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri said Pitroda’s statement is an insult to the nation, and that no one is going to tolerate it.

He said PM Narendra Modi had already said that saying anything to the BJP or him could be tolerated, but if something bad is said about the country and its 140 crore people, it won’t be tolerated.

Congress leader Pitroda resigned as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday after an uproar over his remarks, which the BJP described as ‘racist’.

In a recent interview with The Statesman, Pitroda said, “We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on the North look like white and maybe people in the South look like Africans… doesn’t matter. We are all brothers and sisters.”

He further said, “We all respect different languages, religions, looks, customs and food. That’s the India I believe in where everybody has a place.”

Earlier in the day, Congress distanced itself from Pitroda’s remarks and termed them unfortunate and unacceptable. “The analogies drawn by Mr Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable,” Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said in a video message.