New Delhi, May 8 (IANS): Veteran Congressman Sam Pitroda, facing fire over a string of controversial statements in the recent past, stepped down as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday.

Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh took to X to inform about Pitroda’s decision and said that he did it of his own accord.

He also said that the Congress has accepted Pitroda’s resignation.

Pitroda, said to be the political mentor of Rahul Gandhi, found himself in the eye of the storm over his statements, the latest being a "racial slur" on the country's citizens.

Speaking to The Statesman, the Congress leader derided the country’s diversity with his controversial statement. "A diverse country, where people in the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arabs, people on the North look like maybe white and people in the South look like of Africa,” Pitroda said, drawing anger and outrage from BJP and other political parties.

The Congress also took exception to Pitroda’s remarks on the "colour of citizens" and termed it "unfortunate and unacceptable".

Deeply embarrassed with his statement, Jairam Ramesh, earlier in the day, wrote, “The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from such analogies, they are most unfortunate and unacceptable.”

Pitroda's recent assertions on Inheritance tax and its benefits also received huge flak from the BJP and put his own party in a spot.