BJP's Kalia takes on Bittu for statement on Sukhbir attacker

Manoranjan Kalia, member, National Executive, BJP and former minister, Punjab, in a press statement today said the statement of Ravneet Singh Bittu, Union Minister of State for Railways, eulogising the attacker of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, was not in keeping with the BJP’s party line.

Kalia said the party had condemned the December 4 attack on SAD chief and former state Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, when he was performing a sewa as sewadar at the entrance of Harmandar Sahib. He said the statement of Bittu was not in the party's line. Kalia added that any statement scoring brownie points politically which had the cascading effect of damaging political and social fabric of Punjab denting communal harmony should be avoided.

Bittu had recently asked SAD to honour Badal’s attacker Narain Singh Chaura with the title ‘Qaum de heere’ like they had felicitated killers of former CM Beant Singh. Bittu had said he condemned the murderous bid on Sukhbir, but he wanted to expose the Akalis, especially the Badal family, for their double standards.

Bittu had said, “A total of 15 lives were lost when my grandfather was assassinated. SAD honoured individuals in such cases at the Golden Temple. Now, it is their turn to reciprocate by supporting Chaura with similar magnanimity.”