Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over Sam Pitroda’s remarks on East and South Indians during a recent interview with ‘The Statesman’ and said that he will not tolerate disrespect of the countrymen on the basis of their skin colour.

Addressing an election rally in Telangana, Modi said, “I was thinking a lot that Droupadi Murmu who has a very good reputation and is the daughter of Adiwasi family, then why is Congress trying so hard to defeat her but today I got to know the reason. I got to know that there is an uncle in America who is the philosophical guide of ‘shehzada’ and just like the third umpire in cricket, this ‘shehzada’ takes advice from the third umpire. This philosophical uncle said that those who have black skin are from Africa. This means that you are abusing several people of the country on the basis of their skin colour.”

Referring to Rahul Gandhi as ‘Shehzada’ (prince), Modi said, “Shehzade (Rahul Gandhi), you will have to answer. My country will not tolerate the disrespect of my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour. Modi will never tolerate this.”

Modi’s remarks came after a recent interview of Rahul Gandhi’s mentor Pitroda with ‘The Statesman’ went viral on social media, prompting severe criticism from the BJP.

During the interview, while highlighting India’s democracy, 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 on the South look like Africans.”

Terming Pitroda’s remarks “racist”, the BJP said that these are Rahul Gandhi’s words and that the “Mohabbat ki Dukan” of the Congress party has “Nafrat ka Saman”.

“It is the words and thinking of Rahul Gandhi only because these days Rahul is also playing the politics of divide and rule to such an extent that first they divide on caste and language lines and now they are doing Indians Vs Indians. To make comments like Indians are like Chinese. Isn’t this a racist comment? Isn’t this insulting? Indians are looking like Africans. Isn’t this comment on the entire South people? By making these comments, it shows that Congress’ “Mohabbat ki dukaan” actually has “Nafrat ka saaman”,” BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.

He further demanded an explanation from the Congress, and Pitroda should be sacked from the party.

“Unless Congress gives a complete explanation and sacks Sam Pitroda, this should be taken as the statement of the Congress,” Poonawalla said.