"Violent instigation": Congress' Sandeep Dikshit criticises Ravneet Bittu's remarks on Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi [India], September 18 : Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Union Minister Ravneet Bittu's "terrorist" statement on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and said that the remarks from the BJP leader had a "violent instigation" and reflected the mentality of the party.
The Congress leader also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence to the BJP leader's statement and said that if the same remarks had been made against a cabinet minister or a BJP leader, the reaction would have been different.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Congress' Sandeep Dikshit said, "This is a very low statement. There is violent instigation in it and they are showing their mentality. They are displaying that they have no character or culture. There is no reaction from the Prime Minister when such statements are made against the Leader of the Opposition. If this statement were made against any minister of the cabinet, then they would have been charged with sedition, NSA, UAPA and others."
Meanwhile, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu condemned the recent protests by the Indian Youth Congress in response to his statements, drawing parallels to the 1984 Sikh riots.
The Former INC leader who quit the Congress party ahead of the general elections in 2024, accused the party of resorting to "old tactics"
"Congress is back to its old tricks. Anyone who exposes the Gandhi family faces threats of arson and violence, reminiscent of the 1984 Sikh riots. Is this what they call their 'Mohabbat ki dukan'?" Ravneet Singh Bittu wrote in a post on X, reacting to the recent outrage by the Congress leaders over his comments on Rahul Gandhi.
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 had said.
Members of the Indian Youth Congress on Wednesday held massive protests in the national capital against Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu and other BJP leaders over their statements against Lok Sabha leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
The protesters shouted slogans, burned effigies, stood on barricades and protested against the BJP as the police tried to control the crowd.
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken on Wednesday approached a police station in the national capital to lodge a complaint against BJP leaders over threats to the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
Maken in his letter for registering an FIR at the Tughlak Road police station has named Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, Delhi BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marvah, Shiv Sena (Shinde) Sanjay Gaikwad, and Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Singh.
The complaint added that these statements are attempts to undermine Rahul Gandhi's safety and disrupt public peace, particularly in light of the ongoing elections in Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana.
It said that the statements were part of a deliberate campaign to incite aggression and hatred against Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.
The complaint also alleged that these leaders used inflammatory language to create unrest and obstruct Gandhi's ability to perform his duties as the Leader of the Opposition.
Maken has requested that an FIR be registered against the named individuals under relevant sections for criminal intimidation and public mischief.