Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu criticised Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu for his derogatory remarks directed at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Sukhu labelled Bittu’s comments as a clear instance of political opportunism, highlighting the ongoing contentious political climate in the country.
The CM’s response underscores the escalating tensions between political factions and raises concerns about the decorum expected in public discourse.
Bittu, a grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister late Beant Singh, was in the Congress till the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections but switched over to the BJP and fought the polls on a BJP ticket from Ludhiana and lost.
On Wednesday, Sukhu told a press conference here that the remarks of Bittu are highly disgraceful and not in line with democratic values of the country where one needs to respect the voice of dissent and constructive criticism.
Bittu, he recalled, was recently nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP after having been inducted in the ministry by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The former Congress leader used to sing praises of Rahul and his leadership. He is now dancing to the tunes of the BJP and targeting Rahul, who was once his leader”.
Bittu, who was in Jharkhand recently had targeted Rahul over his remarks on the Sikhs in the US, calling the Congress MP “terrorist No. 1”.
“Rahul is the son and grandson of two late Prime Ministers. He undertook ‘padyatra’ for thousands of km not to get some position but to raise issues of the common people and save democracy,” Sukhu said “The Himachal Congress opposes and condemns the highly objectionable remarks by Bittu. I urge BJP president JP Nadda to rein in people like Bittu so that they desist from making personal remarks for petty political gains,” he said.
Sukhu accused the ruling party of engaging in political mudslinging and using unconstitutional language to target Rahul. Calling for respect in political discourse, Sukhu stated that every political entity in a democracy has the right to agree or disagree, but it is essential that dignity and respect are maintained in public dialogue.