AAP associating Sikhs with infiltrators for vote-bank politics: Bittu

Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu referred to a recent remark made by MLA Rituraj Jha in which the latter reportedly said that Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators are Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s relatives

Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Tuesday accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders of maligning the Sikh community by associating them with infiltrators.

Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu (HT File)

According to Bittu, Sikh Gurus fought against the Mughal invaders to safeguard the dignity of women and attained martyrdom, however, AAP national spokesperson and MLA Rituraj Jha has accused them of being close to infiltrators.

“This is a vote bank politics. Sikhs are equated with Mughals again and again. They are targeting a particular vote-bank,” Bittu said while talking to media persons.

Bittu referred to a recent remark made by Jha in which the latter reportedly said that Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators are Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s relatives.

Jha, the outgoing Kirari MLA, was recently at the centre of a controversy following a heated exchange with BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala. The BJP leaders alleged that Jha made the comment against Puri during a TV show.

BJP national spokesperson Sardar RP Singh and another Sikh leader Impreet Bakshi claimed in a joint statement that the Sikh community is one of the bravest and has always worked to drive out anti-national infiltrators.

“Calling Puri, a respected figure of the Sikh community, a relative of infiltrators is an insult to every Sikh. He is a distinguished personality who has enhanced India’s prestige through his work as a diplomat and recognised as an honest and dedicated minister of the Indian government,” they said.

“Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal should apologise or face Sikh opposition,” Bittu said.