‘Congress hates Sikhs’: PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘traitor’ remark | India News

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday trained his guns at Rahul Gandhi‘s “traitor” remark and accused the Congress leader of insulting the Sikhs. “What happened yesterday — the ‘Yuvraj’ of Congress, who has a ‘shaatir dimaag’ called a member of this House a traitor. His arrogance is at its peak. He did not call others who left Congress traitors, but he said it to this MP because he is a Sikh,” Prime Minister Modi said in his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Rajya Sabha.

“This is an insult to Sikhs, an insult to the Gurus. This shows the hatred Congress carries,” the Prime Minsiter said and wondered what stopped the Congress leader from tendering an apology.The Prime Minister also said that Rahul Gandhi’s remarks were a reflection of Congress’ “arrogance at its peak” and questioned how a political shift could justify branding someone anti-national“Just because someone changed ideology, he becomes a traitor? This is not a small word. How can the country tolerate a citizen being called a traitor?” he asked, adding that such behaviour would only push Congress further into decline. “Such people will sink Congress,” PM Modi added.Rahul Gandhi had on Wednesday exchanged barbs with former party colleague and Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu in Parliament premises. In videos released by the Congress, Gandhi was heard calling Bittu “a traitor” and the minister retorting with “desh ke dushman” (enemy of the nation) jibe.The incident took place right outside Parliament’s Makar Dwar, the main entrance which MPs take to enter the new Parliament building, where Gandhi was standing in solidarity with suspended Congress MPs, mostly from Punjab.As soon as he was about to speak, Bittu passed by, and remarked, “they (suspended Congress MPs) are sitting here as if they have won a war”.Rahul hit back, “The thing is, here is a traitor walking right by. Take a look at the face. How he looks.”Rahul then extended his hand towards Bittu for a handshake, and said, “Hello brother, my traitor friend”.“Don’t worry, you will come back (to the Congress)”, he added addressing the Union minister of state for railways and food processing.Bittu, however, declined to shake hands with Rahul and, while pointing to him, said, “desh ke dushman.”The Union minister was seen in the videos springing past the Makar Dwar stairs, repeating his “desh ke dushman” charge while pointing at the Congress leaders and suspended MPs, who continued to jeer at him.