Rahul Gandhi's traitor jibe: This is Parliament premises, not college campus

The theatrics between Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his once-time aide and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu inside the Parliament complex looked less like a face-off between elected lawmakers and more like a scene from a college campus. A senior publicly needling a junior amid laughs. But, Parliament is no college campus. And Rahul Gandhi is no college student. He is the Leader of the Opposition, a constitutional post that carries much weight.

Let's be clear. This is not only about the Congress leader, but also about abusing the sanctity of Parliament, regarded as the temple of democracy.

WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN RAHUL AND RAVNEET BITTU?

Now, let's unwind a little and trace the sequence of events that led to Wednesday's drama. After the Lok Sabha was adjourned, a common occurrence over the past couple of years, Gandhi and some suspended Congress MPs were protesting at the Makar Dwar of Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition ditched his ubiquitous white T-shirt and was seen wearing a black sweatshirt -- the colour of protest.

As Bittu, a former Congress MP, walked past, he took a potshot at the protesting MPs. "Yeh jung jeet ke aaye hain (It is as if they have returned after winning a war)," Bittu said.

Rahul Gandhi, standing on the steps leading up to the temple of democracy, shot back, "Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face". Amid laughs from fellow party MPs, he repeated the remark as he offered to shake hands with Bittu. "Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don't worry, you will come back (to Congress)," Rahul quipped, with a wry smile on his face.

At that point, it ceased to be criticism and seemed more like a final-year college senior heckling a fresher on a campus. What is meant to be the forum of civil, democratic discussion was reduced to an arena of personal humiliation.

Startled by the "traitor" remark, Bittu paused before refusing to shake hands. "Desh ke dushman," he said, before walking away. The Congress leaders, however, continued to jeer at him.

The unsavoury incident has raised serious questions about the decorum expected of MPs. Parliament is not a place for name-calling or settling personal scores. Even more so as the principal voice of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi is expected to uphold restraint and dignity.

Ravneet Bittu, who was inducted into Congress by Rahul Gandhi, switched to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It may have played on the Raebareli MP's mind when he chose to make the "traitor" remark.

The choice of words, especially against a Sikh leader whose family - including his grandfather and former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh - made immense sacrifices, was unnecessary. Beant Singh was killed by Khalistani militants in Chandigarh in 1995.

Later, speaking to reporters, Bittu didn't hold back and called Rahul Gandhi a "sadak ka gunda" (street thug).

HAVE THERE BEEN SUCH INSTANCES IN PARLIAMENT?

In recent years, Parliament has seen several instances of political bitterness and casual, callous behaviour that have demeaned the dignity of Parliament.

In 2023, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, who was suspended, was seen mimicking then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in Parliament premises. Rahul Gandhi was recording the incident on his mobile phone then, drawing criticism from the BJP.

The same year, Rahul Gandhi’s flying-kiss gesture at the treasury benches also drew strong condemnation. Over 20 women MPs, mostly from the BJP, also lodged a complaint over the Congress MP’s conduct.

The Rahul-Bittu faceoff is only the latest incident that raises serious questions over conduct and decorum inside Parliament premises by MPs entrusted with running the country of 1.47 billion people.