Tensions boiled over at Parliament on Wednesday when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Sikh Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu clashed verbally at Makar Dwar. BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Delhi’s Cabinet Minister, responded with a blistering defense of Bittu and the Sikh community, turning the tables on Congress’s legacy.
In a pointed X post, Sirsa lambasted Gandhi: ‘I vehemently condemn the words used by Rahul Gandhi today in Parliament against Sikh Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, labeling him a traitor. This is a shameful low.’ He proclaimed Sikhs’ unwavering patriotism, incapable of treachery.
Sirsa then unleashed historical accusations against the Gandhi family, detailing the 1984 military operation that shelled Golden Temple, destroyed Akal Takht, and led to pogroms where Sikhs were brutally murdered with tires and fire. ‘Congress’s mindset hasn’t evolved; the same poison persists,’ he charged.
Describing the remarks as unacceptable insults laden with 1980s-era bigotry, Sirsa demanded the Speaker initiate immediate proceedings. He argued this isn’t isolated but symptomatic of Congress’s deep-seated anti-Sikh bias that must be confronted head-on.
Sirsa’s intervention highlights BJP’s strategy to champion Sikh causes, contrasting it with Congress’s past. By invoking unatoned sins, he rallies community support and pressures opposition accountability. As Parliament reconvenes, expect heightened scrutiny on inter-party rhetoric and Speaker’s role in maintaining order.