'Sadak ka gunda': Ravneet Bittu says Rahul Gandhi tried to manhandle him after 'traitor' remark

Rahul Gandhi and Ravneet Bittu had an altercation outside the Parliament

• Rahul Gandhi and Ravneet Singh Bittu clashed outside Parliament amid protests
• Bittu accused Gandhi of manhandling and using derogatory language in altercation
• BJP condemned Gandhi's remarks, alleging they hurt Sikh sentiments

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The war of words between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu escalated into a major political controversy on Wednesday, following a heated confrontation outside Parliament.

The clash took place amid protests by opposition MPs near the Parliament complex. According to Bittu, the exchange began after he remarked that protesting MPs were “sitting as if they won a war”, following which Gandhi approached him. The situation quickly escalated, with Gandhi allegedly calling Bittu a “traitor”. When Gandhi later offered to shake hands, Bittu refused, calling the protesting MPs “desh ke dushman”.

Bittu accused the Leader of Opposition of attempting to manhandle him during the altercation. “He has good fitness but I too am strong. But this is not what we do in politics. We have to speak with decorum using Parliamentary language. He is exposed today. He stooped to hooliganism,” the minister said. Bittu, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2024, also accused Gandhi of behaving like a “sadak ka gunda”.

The confrontation also spilled into Parliament earlier in the day, Bittu said, prompting intervention by the Speaker. Speaking to ANI, he said, “When I was going in, he did the same thing even inside the House. The Speaker sent them out. I am in discussion regarding further course of action. They behaved like a ‘sadak ka gunda’ even outside.”

Bittu further alleged that Gandhi’s behaviour changed after he switched parties. “I was good for you as long as I was with you (in Congress). Now that I am in the BJP, you started disliking me…When I responded to him…if you see the video, he wanted to escalate it to manhandling me. It was Venugopal who stopped him. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa stopped him,” he said. “Haath milata hai meri jutti (Shake hands, my foot). He tried to come after me, but his MPs stopped him. You can see it in the video,” he added.

The BJP condemned Gandhi’s remarks, saying they had hurt sentiments within the Sikh community. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri alleged that Gandhi targeted Bittu only because he had left the Congress.

Bittu also alleged that the Gandhi family had historically targeted Sikhs and said he was surprised by Gandhi’s conduct despite daily interactions among Members of Parliament. The Congress has not yet issued a detailed response to the allegations.