Rahul must apologise for ‘traitor’ remark: Badoli

For the second consecutive day, BJP workers across Haryana staged protests and burnt the effigy of Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of insulting the Sikh community by allegedly calling Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu a “traitor”.

Protests were held in almost every district. In Panchkula, around 70-80 BJP workers gathered near Geeta Chowk in the evening and burnt Rahul Gandhi’s effigy. A similar demonstration was held at Subhash Chowk in Sonepat in the presence of BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli.

Addressing mediapersons, Badoli said, “The insult of Ravneet Singh Bittu is an insult of the entire Sikh community.” He condemned Rahul Gandhi’s remarks and alleged that the Congress had historically harboured an anti-Sikh mindset.

Referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Badoli said Sikhs were brutally massacred, yet Congress leaders had neither apologised nor shown remorse to date. “Rahul Gandhi’s mindset has not changed. Deliberately calling Ravneet Singh Bittu a ‘traitor’ is an attempt to hurt Sikh sentiments,” he said.

Badoli said Bittu belonged to a Sikh family whose grandfather and former Chief Minister Beant Singh had laid down his life for the nation. “Such language is unconstitutional and a direct attack on the dignity of the Sikh community,” he said, demanding a public apology from Rahul Gandhi. Replying to a query, Badoli said the ‘G-RAM-G’ scheme provided 125 days of guaranteed employment, compared to 100 days under MGNREGA, with higher wages and greater transparency.