A heated exchange took place between Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday within the Parliament complex. The incident escalated after Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp verbal attack, referring to Bittu as a "traitor", prompting an immediate and strong rebuttal from the Union Minister.
The confrontation occurred at Makar Dwar when Bittu was passing by Congress MPs who were staging a protest. As Bittu walked past the protesting MPs, Gandhi was heard remarking, "Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face." He also extended his hand towards Bittu and said, "Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don't worry, you will come back."
Gandhi said this as Bittu was previously with Congress. He joined the BJP in March 2024. The Union Minister, however, refused to shake hands and responded strongly to the remarks. Hitting back at Gandhi, he called him and his associates "desh ke dushman" (enemies of the nation), and made it clear that he does not associate with individuals he considers hostile to the country.
The two leaders were seen engaging in a brief but intense verbal exchange before moving ahead. The confrontation unfolded amid protests by Congress MPs, who were demonstrating at the Parliament stairs while holding posters that read "PM is compromised."
The protest was linked to the India-US trade agreement, which has become a major political flashpoint between the ruling government and the Opposition. India and the United States finalised a trade deal on Monday following a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump.
As part of the agreement, US tariffs on Indian goods were reduced to 18 per cent, while India agreed to ease certain trade barriers on American products. Earlier on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "compromised" and "under pressure", claiming that this is the reason behind the signing of the India-US trade agreement.
Speaking to reporters within the Parliament premises, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister signed the agreement under pressure. The trade agreement has drawn criticism from opposition parties, which have described the pact as disproportionately beneficial to the US and not in India's interest.