Chandigarh, August 16: The Independence Day celebrations took a controversial turn as former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and the Gandhi family. He accused them of disregarding the importance of democracy and Parliament.
This remark followed an incident during the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Congress headquarters. While the national song ‘Vande Mataram‘ was being sung in full, Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge were seen conversing and gesturing amidst the performance.
In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Congress leaders of attempting to disrupt or halt the complete rendition of ‘Vande Mataram,’ igniting a new political clash between the ruling party and the opposition.
Speaking to reporters, Bittu claimed that the Gandhi family does not value democratic institutions or Parliament. He stated, “The reality is that Rahul Gandhi may not grasp these issues easily, but Mother (Sonia Gandhi) understands quickly. She might have thought, ‘This is not Congress’s agenda. This is the country’s agenda passed by Parliament. So how can something not passed in Parliament be played in front of me?’ Ultimately, it is the Gandhi family. For them, the public, Parliament, and democracy hold no significance.”
This controversy arose shortly after Parliament passed a law granting legal protection to ‘Vande Mataram’ and making deliberate obstruction or disruption of its singing a punishable offense.
Bittu further criticized the Congress leadership, referencing the national song’s approval by Parliament and questioning Sonia Gandhi’s reaction during its performance at the party headquarters. “Even Jairam Ramesh admitted that Parliament passed this bill unanimously. Mother was upset, but such anger is not good for health. This is the country’s song. On the day we completed 80 years, i.e., August 15, she was upset about this. What can we do? However, now her spokesperson has changed the party’s stance. For us, August 15 is a day more sacred than any other festival.”
He attempted to indicate that the Congress leadership is disconnected from the national significance of ‘Vande Mataram’ and Independence Day celebrations.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh dismissed these allegations, clarifying that there was “no attempt” from the party to stop the national song from being played or sung in full.
Additionally, Bittu criticized senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram for his comment expressing pride in being a “mental Naxalite.” This remark came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi described “mental Naxalism” as a challenge that seeks opportunities to promote violence, unrest, and disorder in the country.
Bittu stated, “P. Chidambaram (Congress MP) is now of retirement age, but I have a question for him and his party. When he was the Union Home Minister, he was, but will not be again—if you check the records, Naxalites and Maoists were most active during his tenure.”
He claimed, “During that time, the scale of killings in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh was unprecedented. Such incidents have not occurred since. Therefore, it would be better if they (Congress) do not talk about this.”
Supporting Prime Minister Modi’s remarks, Bittu added that while armed Maoism may have diminished, this “mentality” still exists within Congress. He affirmed that Home Minister Amit Shah had promised to rid India of Naxalism, and he has delivered on that promise. However, the mindset of Naxalism remains. Chidambaram is troubled because he wants the world to maintain its old image of Naxalism in India. Under PM Modi’s leadership, development is taking place in Naxalite-affected areas, and Maoists are surrendering and joining the mainstream. Such regions were neglected during Congress rule.
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