Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri (left) reacted strongly to Rahuk Gandhi's 'traitor' remark about Bittu,
Sikh leaders in the BJP on Wednesday tore into Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for describing Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu as a “traitor”, arguing that the comment was not just a political jibe but a grave affront to Sikh pride and sacrifice. Leading the charge, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said Gandhi’s remark revealed a mindset that demeans Sikh leaders and disregards the community’s historic contributions to the nation.
Puri, in a strongly-worded post on X, said Gandhi had crossed “all boundaries of civility, decency and dignity” by targeting Bittu, who left the Congress to join the BJP . He suggested the Congress leader was lashing out because Bittu had chosen “the policies of Vikas espoused by the Modi government” over a “directionless Congress”.
“But that cannot ever justify such a slur against a proud Sikh whose own grandfather was slain by terrorists,” Puri wrote, referring to former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Calling the label “traitor” an insult to the Sikh community itself, Puri said: “While Gandhi may have many friends who are traitors, Bittu is certainly not one of them.” He invoked the sacrifices of the Guru Sahibs and the Sahibzaade, and the role of Sikhs in the armed forces, arguing that Gandhi should have known “the love for the land Sikhism teaches” before using such language.
The minister also alluded to the 1984 assault on the Golden Temple, saying the same “mindset” appeared to persist in the Congress.
Gandhi’s comment came a day earlier as he walked past protesting Congress MPs at Parliament’s Makar Dwar and spotted Bittu. “Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face,” he reportedly said, later greeting him with, “Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don’t worry, you will come back.”
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also slammed Gandhi for referring to Bittu as a "traitor", calling it an insult to the Sikh community and demanding immediate action against Gandhi by the Lok Sabha speaker.
In a sharply-worded statement on X, Sirsa said the language used by Gandhi against a Sikh leader was "absolutely unacceptable" and reflected a mindset that did not change since the '80s.