Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (Feb 5) strongly condemned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu a “traitor”, describing the remark as reflective of the Congress party’s “anti-Sikh mindset”. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, Modi said the language used by the Leader of Opposition crossed all limits of political decency and amounted to an insult to the Sikh community as a whole.
Referring to the incident that unfolded outside Parliament a day earlier, the Prime Minister said, “Yesterday, the Prince of Congress called an MP a ‘traitor’. Their arrogance has reached new heights. So many leaders have left Congress over the years, and the party has been divided multiple times. Those leaders were never branded traitors. But when this leader was called a traitor, it was because he is a Sikh.”
Modi added that Ravneet Singh Bittu, whose family has made sacrifices for the nation, was targeted solely because he chose to leave the Congress and join the Bharatiya Janata Party. “Just because he changed his political views, he became a ‘gaddar’? This is not just an insult to one MP, but to all Sikhs,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the Congress could have apologised in Parliament but chose not to do so.
Underscoring the gravity of the term “traitor”, Modi questioned how a democracy could tolerate such language. “If someone calls my citizens traitors, how will the nation accept it? Just because he is a Sikh, does that make him a traitor? This kind of thinking will lead to the ruin of the Congress,” he warned.
Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “Yesterday, in an incident in this House, Congress’s Yuvaraj called an MP a ‘traitor.’ This shows how arrogant they have become. That MP was called a ‘traitor’ because he was a Sikh…” pic.twitter.com/7ihgsaOTtY
— IANS (@ians_india) February 5, 2026
What triggered the controversy
The Prime Minister’s remarks came in the backdrop of a heated exchange outside Parliament on Wednesday (Feb 3). Rahul Gandhi, while posing for photographs with suspended Opposition MPs, made a remark after spotting Ravneet Singh Bittu, a former Congress MP who joined the BJP in March 2024. As Bittu passed by, Gandhi reportedly said, “Here is a traitor walking right by,” and later added, “Hello brother, my traitor friend. Don’t worry, you will come back,” while offering a handshake.
Bittu refused the handshake and hit back sharply, calling Rahul Gandhi the “enemy of India” (Desh ke dushman). The exchange quickly snowballed into a political controversy, with the BJP accusing Gandhi of deliberate provocation and communal insensitivity.
BJP, Sikh leaders lash out
Several BJP leaders, particularly from the Sikh community, condemned Gandhi’s remarks. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the comments crossed “all boundaries of civility, decency and dignity”, arguing that political rivalry could never justify such language.
“It may be possible that he holds a grudge against Bittu Ji for choosing the development-oriented policies of the Modi government over a directionless Congress. But that can never justify branding him a traitor,” Puri said in a statement.
The BJP also highlighted Bittu’s political journey, noting that while he joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he lost the polls, countering the Congress claim that he switched sides purely for political gain.
The Congress, however, defended Rahul Gandhi, arguing that Bittu betrayed the party that had nurtured his political career. Amritsar MP Gurjeet Aujla said Bittu chose to “sit in the lap of the dictator” at a time when the Opposition was fighting against what it described as authoritarianism.
Wider attack on Congress
During his Rajya Sabha speech, Prime Minister Modi broadened his attack, accusing the Congress of repeatedly insulting constitutional authorities and marginalised communities. He alleged that the party had disrespected President Droupadi Murmu, Dalits, Adivasis, and even people of the Northeast.
“Disrespecting the people of the country seems ingrained in the Congress party’s culture,” Modi said, pointing to disruptions during discussions on the President’s Address and past controversies, including remarks made after the conferment of the Bharat Ratna on Assamese icon Bhupen Hazarika.
The Prime Minister concluded by asserting that such behaviour exposed the Congress’ mindset and disconnect from the values of respect and unity, warning that divisive rhetoric would only further erode the party’s standing among the people.
