New Delhi [India], February 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, taking aim at the party's "Yuvraj' over a controversial "traitor" remark made against BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, calling it an insult to the Sikh community and a reflection of Congress' "arrogance at its peak."
Speaking during the debate in the Upper House, PM Modi referred to the incident involving the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who called Ravneet Bittu a "traitor" outside Parliament after the latter quit the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"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. This is an insult to Sikhs, an insult to the Gurus. This shows the hatred Congress carries," PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister 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.
The row erupted after Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu had a verbal exchange near the Makar Dwar of Parliament. Gandhi said, "Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face," and later added, "Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don't worry, you will come back." Bittu refused to shake hands and shot back, calling Gandhi "Desh ke dushman."
PM Modi further broadened his attack on the Congress, accusing it of betraying farmers, delaying development and lacking the will to implement projects.
"Congress' working style has been -- delay, obstruct, confuse. They only know the jeep and mule model," he said, referring to outdated decision-making.
The Prime Minister said his government was correcting the damage left behind. "Our considerable energy is going into washing away the image of their era. They left the country in the same condition, and now we are moving forward on policy. The world is trusting India because today the country has boarded the Reform Express," he told the House.
Highlighting farmer welfare, PM Modi said Congress ignored small farmers despite India having nearly 10 crore cultivators with less than two hectares of land. "We felt their pain, understood the ground realities and brought PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. In a short time, we have transferred ₹4 lakh crore directly into farmers' accounts," he said.
On infrastructure, PM Modi cited long-pending projects that were completed under his tenure. Referring to the Sardar Sarovar project on the Narmada, he said, "Sardar Patel envisioned it, Nehru laid the foundation stone, and I inaugurated it decades later. This is the state of Congress -- they imagine but cannot implement." He also pointed to the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam, delayed for years but completed under the Pragati initiative, benefiting the Northeast region.
Expanding his criticism to the other Opposition parties as well, PM Modi said parties like Congress, TMC, DMK and the Left had decades in power but failed to improve citizens' lives. "They only worked to fill their own pockets. Today they talk about deals with pride, but earlier the country remembered them for deals like Bofors," he said.
Concluding his remarks, PM Modi asserted that India's strength lies in its people. "We believe 140 crore Indians are 140 crore solutions. Congress thinks the people themselves are the problem. No matter how many challenges there are, we have the solutions within us," he said.