New Delhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu a “traitor,” saying the remark has caused deep anguish within the Sikh community.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the term “traitor” carries grave connotations and should not be used lightly. “This word is meant for someone who has betrayed the nation. It is a very sensitive issue for the Sikh community,” he said.

Puri said Bittu’s political choices should not be equated with disloyalty to the country, noting that the Union minister comes from a family with a history of public service. He recalled that Bittu’s grandfather, former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, was assassinated while in office. “To call him a traitor is unacceptable,” Puri added.

BJP leader Arvinder Singh Lovely echoed the criticism, saying the Sikh community was “extremely anguished” over Gandhi’s remarks and termed the incident unfortunate.

The BJP’s reaction came after a heated exchange between Gandhi and Bittu outside Parliament earlier in the day. Videos released by the Congress showed the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha referring to Bittu as a “traitor,” while the Union minister responded by calling Gandhi a “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation).

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Bittu had quit the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections.