Gandhi family’s close aide Sam Pitroda is author on Pakistan-affiliated website Human Online: What’s behind this affiliation?

 

Human Online has also attracted attention after videos featuring a reporter named Garima covering protests in the national capital circulated widely online. Subsequent social media posts raised concerns about the platform’s Facebook page transparency information, which was reported to show page managers based in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

  

These claims have fuelled allegations that the platform has operational links to Pakistan. Pitroda’s appearance on the website thus raises a big question about his loyalty to the nation and what all he and his party is planning in India.

The central question is whether Pitroda has a formal association with Human Online and, if so, what that association involves.

 

 

Several of Pitroda’s public statements over the years have triggered political controversies, drawn criticism from the BJP and other quarters, and forced the Congress to distance itself from his remarks.

 

One of the most controversial remarks came in May 2019, when Pitroda was asked about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and allegations surrounding the Congress leadership’s role in the aftermath of the violence. He responded, “Hua to hua” (whatever happened, happened). The remark was widely criticised for appearing dismissive of the killings and the suffering of Sikh families. The BJP accused the Congress of insensitivity towards the victims, while the statement became a major political flashpoint during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign.

 

In February 2019, following the Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, and India’s subsequent Balakot air strikes, Pitroda questioned the approach of military retaliation.

 

Referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, he said such incidents happened frequently and argued against blaming an entire nation for the actions of a few individuals. His comments drew criticism from the BJP, which accused him of downplaying terrorism and questioning India’s response to cross-border attacks.

 

 

Pitroda also faced criticism in April 2019 over his comments on taxation and the Congress’s proposed NYAY minimum income guarantee scheme. While discussing the need to support poorer sections of society, he said the middle class should not be selfish and should be willing to pay higher taxes. The Congress subsequently clarified that the proposed scheme would not impose an additional tax burden on the middle class.

 

His comments on religion and the Ram Mandir also sparked a political row in June 2023. Pitroda argued that temples alone could not address India’s major challenges, including unemployment, inflation, education and healthcare. He questioned the excessive focus on temple construction at the expense of developmental issues. BJP leaders criticised his remarks, accusing him of targeting Hindu religious sentiment.

 

In January 2024, Pitroda also attracted criticism over the debate surrounding the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru and B.R. Ambedkar to the making of the Indian Constitution. Material associated with his comments or social media activity was interpreted as giving Nehru greater credit for the Constitution’s framing than Ambedkar.

 

Another major controversy erupted in April 2024 when Pitroda discussed inheritance tax in the United States. He described the system as an interesting law and suggested that the principle of transferring a portion of inherited wealth to the public could be fair. The BJP seized on the remarks, alleging that the Congress intended to redistribute private wealth and interfere with family inheritances.

 

In May 2024, Pitroda faced widespread condemnation over comments comparing Indians from different regions to people of other ethnic backgrounds. Speaking about the country’s diversity, he said people in the East looked like Chinese, those in the West like Arabs, those in the North like white people and those in the South like Africans. The remarks were criticised as racial stereotyping and sparked outrage across political lines.

 

Pitroda’s remarks on China in early 2025 triggered another political confrontation. He questioned the extent of the Chinese threat to India, arguing that the issue was often exaggerated and advocating cooperation rather than confrontation.

 

In another controversy in February 2025, Pitroda claimed that an online interaction involving students of IIT Ranchi had been hacked and had displayed obscene content. The Education Ministry subsequently pointed out that there was no institution called IIT Ranchi, describing the claim as baseless.

 

In September 2025, Pitroda triggered another row when he said he felt at home in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, referring to shared ancestry, physical similarities, food and music. He called for better relations with neighbouring countries. BJP leaders criticised them against the backdrop of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and past attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

 

Notably, these controversies have made Pitroda a recurring target of political criticism.