"Rahul Gandhi statement on Sikhs was endorsed by terrorist Pannun": BJP' Ravneet Bittu clarifies remarks on LoP

In a self-made video, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said, "I want to tell Mallikarjun Khage and every Congress worker that you can happily protest against me if this makes the Gandhi family happy. When Rahul Gandhi said something against Sikhs, he was supported by the biggest enemy of the country, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is conducting a referendum for Khalistan. That person gave a statement in favour of Rahul Gandhi."

"Whatever Rahul Gandhi said about Sikhs, it was endorsed by the most dangerous terrorist. I waited for two days thinking that Congress or the president of Congress might condemn this and distance itself from Pannun's remarks. When you did not say this, then I said that it is clear that Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leaders are standing with Pannun. It would have been better if you would have condemned Pannun backing Rahul Gandhi's statement," he added.

"When Pannun and Rahul Gandhi are endorsing each other and each other's statements then what else would a person be called, what is the difference between them," the BJP leader said.

Reacting to the remarks by BJP's Ravneet Singh Bittu, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, "The BJP is making their junior leaders make remarks against him (Rahul Gandhi). Ravneet Singh Bittu used to sing songs praising Rahul Gandhi when he was an MP from Congress in Punjab. Now he has become a Minister in the BJP government without being a Member of Parliament."

"He wants to be chosen as a Member of the Rajya Sabha hence he is making remarks against a national leader to grab attention. National President JP Nadda should control such leaders. It is election time in Northern India and grabbing attention through such remarks is a part of politics to divert the attention from the failures of the government," said Himachal CM Sukhu.

Rahul Gandhi triggered a political lash after he commented on the condition of the Sikh community in India. He had said that that fight in India as a Sikh was about whether he would be allowed to wear a turban or kada, or allowed to go to a Gurudwara.

Following this, Khalistani separatist leader Pannun came out in Gandhi's support calling it a "bold and pioneering statement grounded in the factual history of Sikhs since 1947" and that it "corroborates with Sikhs For Justice's stance on the justification of Punjab's Independence Referendum to establish Sikh homeland Khalistan."

Pannun has been declared a terrorist in India by the Ministry of Home Affairs over sedition and secessionism. He is the co-founder of the banned outfit SFJ.

Earlier in the day, Congress filed a police complaint against Bittu for his "terrorist" remark on Gandhi. Besides this, complaints were also lodged against three other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders by Congress treasurer and former Union Minister Ajay Maken for making objectionable remarks against Rahul Gandhi.

Several Congress leaders and members of the Indian Youth Congress held a protest in Delhi against Ravneet Singh Bittu and other BJP leaders over their statement on Rahul Gandhi. The party's Delhi unit chief Devender Yadav and many others were detained.

In response to this, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu stoked a controversy by calling the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi a "number 1 terrorist".

"Rahul Gandhi is not Indian; he has spent most of his time abroad. He does not love his country because he goes overseas and criticises India. His words have been praised by separatists and those involved in making bombs and weapons. Those who try to blow up planes, trains, and roads are supporting Rahul Gandhi. He is the country's number one terrorist and the biggest enemy whom the agencies should catch," Bittu said. (ANI)