Here's a traitor: Rahul Gandhi jabs aide-turned-BJP minister Ravneet Bittu outside Parliament
Rahul Gandhi referred to former Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu as his "traitor friend," prompting a strong response from the BJP leader, who hit back by calling Gandhi a "desh ka dushman" (enemy of the nation).
A sharp war of words broke out between Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his former aide and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu in Parliament premises on Wednesday, as tensions flared ahead of the day’s proceedings.
The exchange occurred during an opposition protest before the session began.
Gandhi referred to Ravneet Bittu, a three-time MP from the Congress who joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as his “traitor friend,” drawing an immediate and pointed response from the BJP leader, who retorted by calling Gandhi a “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation).
As Bittu walked past protesting Congress MPs, Gandhi was heard saying, “Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face.” He then extended his hand towards Bittu, adding, “Hello brother, my traitor friend. Don’t worry, you will come back (to Congress).”
Bittu declined to shake hands and responded sharply, calling Gandhi a “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation), as the two leaders briefly exchanged words.
The Union Minister later elaborated on his stance, recalling his time in the Congress. He claimed that during the period of militancy in Punjab, the Gandhi family bore responsibility for the turmoil and that Sikhs were specifically targeted.
He said if he were still in the BJP, Gandhi and his colleagues would have treated him with deference. Emphasising his Sikh identity, the BJP leader stated he wore his turban with pride and reaffirmed that he would never shake hands with the Gandhi family, whom he considers “enemies of the country.”
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned Gandhi’s remarks.
“You have committed this sin. You have insulted the Sikhs, used abusive language, and we condemn this in the strongest terms. We will not tolerate it at all,” he said, adding that immediate action had been taken against Gandhi.
Sirsa further criticised the Congress, asserting that such comments reflect a persistent bias. “Using such dirty comments and having such feelings towards Sikhs clearly shows that there has been no change in the Congress mentality. The same venom that existed against Sikhs in the 1980s is still present today,” he said, calling for accountability.
Today's war of words comes more than two years after Ravneet Bittu had sparked controversy with his remarks targeting Rahul Gandhi.
In 2024, Bittu had criticised the Congress MP over his comments on Sikhs during a visit to the US and went so far as to call him “the number one terrorist of the country.”
The Congress had strongly condemned the statement, describing Bittu’s remarks as “bottom-tier” and saying his political career in the party, before he switched to the BJP, had been a “mess.” The party had also demanded that the BJP immediately sack him over the comment.
A sharp war of words broke out between Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his former aide and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu in Parliament premises on Wednesday, as tensions flared ahead of the day’s proceedings.
The exchange occurred during an opposition protest before the session began.
Gandhi referred to Ravneet Bittu, a three-time MP from the Congress who joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as his “traitor friend,” drawing an immediate and pointed response from the BJP leader, who retorted by calling Gandhi a “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation).
As Bittu walked past protesting Congress MPs, Gandhi was heard saying, “Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face.” He then extended his hand towards Bittu, adding, “Hello brother, my traitor friend. Don’t worry, you will come back (to Congress).”
Bittu declined to shake hands and responded sharply, calling Gandhi a “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation), as the two leaders briefly exchanged words.
The Union Minister later elaborated on his stance, recalling his time in the Congress. He claimed that during the period of militancy in Punjab, the Gandhi family bore responsibility for the turmoil and that Sikhs were specifically targeted.
He said if he were still in the BJP, Gandhi and his colleagues would have treated him with deference. Emphasising his Sikh identity, the BJP leader stated he wore his turban with pride and reaffirmed that he would never shake hands with the Gandhi family, whom he considers “enemies of the country.”
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned Gandhi’s remarks.
“You have committed this sin. You have insulted the Sikhs, used abusive language, and we condemn this in the strongest terms. We will not tolerate it at all,” he said, adding that immediate action had been taken against Gandhi.
Sirsa further criticised the Congress, asserting that such comments reflect a persistent bias. “Using such dirty comments and having such feelings towards Sikhs clearly shows that there has been no change in the Congress mentality. The same venom that existed against Sikhs in the 1980s is still present today,” he said, calling for accountability.
Today's war of words comes more than two years after Ravneet Bittu had sparked controversy with his remarks targeting Rahul Gandhi.
In 2024, Bittu had criticised the Congress MP over his comments on Sikhs during a visit to the US and went so far as to call him “the number one terrorist of the country.”
The Congress had strongly condemned the statement, describing Bittu’s remarks as “bottom-tier” and saying his political career in the party, before he switched to the BJP, had been a “mess.” The party had also demanded that the BJP immediately sack him over the comment.