The BJP on Wednesday hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for calling MoS (Railways) Ravneet Singh Bittu a “traitor”, saying that the Congress leader did not just insult Bittu with his remarks but the entire Sikh community. Bittu had quit the Congress in 2024 to join the BJP.
The light banter between Rahul and Bittu on Parliament premises snowballed into a full-blown political row between the two parties, with Sikh leaders of the BJP, including Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, alleging that Rahul’s “traitor” reference to Bittu was an insult to the entire Sikh community.
The incident happened when Rahul, along with MPs of his party, was protesting at the Makar Dwar against not being allowed to address the House. In videos released by the Congress, Rahul was heard calling Bittu, who was crossing by, “a traitor” and the minister retorting with the “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation) jibe.
Extending his arm to Bittu for a handshake, Rahul said, “Hello, brother…My traitor friend.” Bittu, however, refused to reciprocate. He pointed his finger at Rahul and said, “Desh ke dushman ke saath main haath nahin milaunga (I will not shake hands with an enemy of the nation).”
#WATCH | Delhi: As Union MoS Ravneet Singh Bittu passes by the protesting Congress MPs at Makar Dwar, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, “Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face…”
LoP Rahul Gandhi offered to shake his hands, saying, “Hello brother, my traitor… pic.twitter.com/5wMgjM8KAW
The LoP added, “Don’t worry, you will come back”, but Bittu skirted the protesting contingent and walked up. The protesting suspended MPs then erupted in slogans of “No” and “Narendar Surrender”.
“He (Rahul) believes that he is the biggest ‘deshbhakt’…My grandfather, Sardar Beant Singh (was consumed) by the fire that you lit in Punjab — the fire was lit by the Congress and the Gandhi family — our most prominent Gurdwara, the Guru Granth Sahib too bore bullets in…the Golden Temple,” Bittu said. “What he thinks of himself. After saying what he said to me, he extended his hand like a ‘shahenshah’. It is like he believes that he is the sole emperor of this country…,” he said.
The BJP was quick to swing to Bittu’s defence, deploying its prominent Sikh faces, including Puri and Arvinder Singh Lovely. Puri said that by referring to Bittu as a “traitor”, the LoP had disrespected the sacrifices of the entire Sikh community.
Taking on what he termed “the mindset” behind the desecration of the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar, Puri said: “A traitor is someone who betrays his nation; this term is used in espionage… this is a serious issue,” Puri said at a press conference, citing the sacrifice of Bittu’s grandfather, Beant Singh, killed by terrorists in 1995.
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Referring to the desecration of the Golden Temple in 1984 without naming the then Congress government, Puri said, “Who did it (the desecration)?” This term (traitor), Puri said, was “completely unacceptable”, all the more because its subject came from a family that had sacrificed much for the nation.
Congress fielded former CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Amritsar MP Gurjeet Aujla in Rahul’s defence. “Rahul Gandhi ji called him ‘gaddaar dost’ (traitor friend)…the Congress and Rahul Gandhi ji gave him everything; the person who left the party when it needed him the most… if that person is not a traitor, then what is he?” Channi said. Aujla said Bittu chose to “sit in the lap of the dictator” while the whole nation was fighting against dictatorship.
Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 16 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism.
Expertise
High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including:
The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls.
National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India's security apparatus.
Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities.
National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements.
Academic Credentials:
Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi's premier institutions.
Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India's most prestigious journalism school. ... Read More
