Bittu calls Rahul 'No. 1 terrorist' over remarks on Sikhs; Congress hits back

Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday stoked a major controversy, after he described Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi as “number one terrorist of the country”, while reacting to his comments on the Sikh community, made last week in the US.

Speaking to mediapersons in Bhagalpur, Bittu said that there should be a reward for catching him (Gandhi) as he was “the biggest enemy of the country”.

“Earlier, they (the Congress) tried to use Muslims, but it did not happen and now they are attempting to divide Sikhs. The most wanted people of the country had given such statements earlier before Rahul Gandhi did.

“Even those who are terrorists have appreciated Rahul Gandhi's remarks. When such people are supporting him, then he is the number one terrorist of the country,” said Bittu, a former Congress MP, who joined the BJP before the Lok Sabha election earlier this year.

The minister also claimed that Rahul Gandhi “was not an Indian as he had spent most of his time outside the country”.

“Look, Rahul Gandhi, in my opinion, is not an Indian. He has spent most of his time outside. His friends and family are there. That is why I think that somewhere he does not love his country much because he goes abroad and says such negative things about India,” Bittu said.

Taking a dig at Gandhi's public outreach initiatives, he claimed that the Congress leader participated in such programmes for photo opportunity.

“He talks about OBCs and castes. Till now, this man has not been able to understand the pain of a cobbler, carpenter or mechanic, even after being the Leader of Opposition. You are still roaming around and asking these people about their problems. Just for the sake of getting your photo clicked, you are doing such things. This is a joke,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress condemned Bittu’s remarks stating that such a statement reflects a complete lack of respect for a fellow Member of Parliament.

Hitting out at Bittu, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa said it also exposes the BJP leader’s alarming ignorance of the basic tenets of the Indian Constitution.

“It is deeply concerning that a minister, who draws a salary funded by taxpayers, fails to comprehend the constitutional values he is sworn to uphold. His derogatory remarks demonstrate not only a profound lack of education and understanding of parliamentary principles but also an appalling disregard for responsible public conduct,” said Bajwa.