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by IANS |
New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday blasted Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his "traitor" remark on Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu and said that a "Sikh Sardar can never be a traitor".
He further claimed the Congress party still has the same "poisonous mindset" against the Sikh community that it had during the 1980s.
A heated exchange took place between Rahul Gandhi and Bittu on Wednesday within the Parliament complex.
Reacting to this, Sirsa took to X and said, "The incident escalated after Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp verbal attack, referring to Bittu as 'traitor', prompting an immediate and strong rebuttal from the Union Minister. I strongly condemn the kind of language Rahul Gandhi used against Sikh minister Ravneet Singh Bittu in Parliament today, calling him a traitor. This statement is utterly shameful."
"A Sikh Sardar can never be a traitor," he added.
Recalling the 1984 Sikh riots, Sirsa called the Gandhi family a "traitor" and accused the Congress party of killing Sikhs.
"If anyone is a traitor, it is the Gandhi family, who attacked Sri Darbar Sahib with cannons and tanks, demolished Sri Akal Takht Sahib, and burned innocent Sikhs alive by putting tyres around their necks," he said.
"This is an insult to the Sikhs, and it will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The poison of the 1980s is still present in the Congress party's mindset. I urge the Honourable Speaker to take immediate action against Rahul Gandhi," the Delhi Minister added.
The confrontation occurred at Makar Dwar when Bittu was passing by Congress MPs who were staging a protest.
As Bittu walked past the protesting MPs, Gandhi was heard remarking, "Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face."
He also extended his hand towards Bittu and said, "Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don't worry, you will come back."
Gandhi said this as Bittu was previously with Congress. He joined the BJP in March 2024.
The Union Minister, however, refused to shake hands and responded strongly to the remarks.
Hitting back at Gandhi, he called him and his associates "desh ke dushman" (enemies of the nation), and made it clear that he does not associate with individuals he considers hostile to the country.
The two leaders were seen engaging in a brief but intense verbal exchange before moving ahead.
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