New Delhi: A major controversy erupted in Wednesday after Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his former aide and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu in Parliament premises as he called him his “traitor friend,” and the latter referring him as “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation).
The tensions flared ahead of the sixth day’s proceedings in Parliament. The incident took place when Rahul Gandhi came to wish good luck to protesting suspended MPs near Makar Dwar.
Rahul Gandhi while wishing good luck to his party MPs referred to Ravneet Bittu, a three-time MP from the grand old party who had joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as his “traitor friend”.
However, his comments drew an immediate and pointed response from the BJP leader, who retorted by calling the Gandhi scion a “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation).
As Bittu walked past protesting Congress MPs near the Makar Dwar trying to enter the Parliament premises, Rahul Gandhi said, “Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face.”
The Congress MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli then also extended his hand towards Bittu, saying, “Hello brother, my traitor friend. Don’t worry, you will come back (to Congress).”
Bittu, who is the Minister of State for Railways did not shook his hand with the Congress leader and mentioned “desh ke dushman”.
The confrontation drew the attention of several MPs and security personnel present at the scene, though no physical altercation was reported.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions between the ruling BJP and the Congress during the ongoing Parliament Budget session.
The suspended MPs were seen protesting outside Parliament, holding placards that read “PM is compromised.” Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has made similar allegations while speaking to the media on the India–US trade agreement.
After the brief exchange with Rahul Gandhi, Bittu while speaking to the media said, “He feels that he is the biggest patriot, that his father sacrificed himself.”
Bittu then alleged that the Congress party and Gandhi family had set Punjab on fire.
He said that bullets were fired at the biggest Gurudwara, at Golden Temple.
“They targeted thousands of Sikhs, Punjabis and killed them. If Rajiv Gandhi is called ‘shaheed’, we should also say shaheed-e-azam Sardar Beant Singh. I also come from that family, this is my pain. Grandson of one martyr was fine as long as I was with him. Now that I am in the BJP, he is using such words for me. What does he think of himself?” Bittu asked.
Bittu then said that Rahul Gandhi extended his hand towards him as if he is an emperor.
“He considers himself the owner of this country, of this world. I might not belong to Gandhi family, but I have a turban on my head. So, when he offered to shake hands with me, I said ‘aap log toh desh ke gaddar ho, desh ke dushman ho’ who speaks against the Army and the nation everyday. Gandhi family is the murderer of Sikhs, I won’t shake hands with the son of that family,” the BJP leader added.
