importance-of-being-ravneet-singh-bittu

Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu is emerging as the sole voice of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab. At times he even goes overboard in his criticism against his political opponents, mostly the Congress, the party he resigned from to join the BJP. In this process, he has earned a lot of friends and foes at the same time.

 

Despite the presence of so many stalwarts in the BJP like the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, state President Sunil Jakhar, Som Prakash, Ashwani Sharma, Tarun Chugh, Avinash Rai Khanna and others, not much is heard from these leaders on any issue at any level. 

 

Capt Amarinder has preferred to maintain a studied silence for a long time. He once expressed his displeasure that leaders like him had not joined the BJP for fun, but after that, he did not say anything.

 

His presence is marked once in a while through his social media handles with occasional comments on various developments of his interest. Otherwise, he remains “politically quiet”.

 

The state BJP president Sunil Jakhar has been speaking off and on, commenting on various issues, but he ensures that his “alienation” with the BJP is “seen and felt” everywhere.

 

So much so, that most of the BJP leaders and cadres are not able to make out whether Jakhar is in the BJP or out of it. Not that he has taken any stand or stance against the party, but his statements make it more than obvious that he does not feel comfortable with the BJP.

 

This has left a lot of space for Bittu to occupy. He has been aggressively vocal on various issues, particularly in his criticism against the Congress, which has been his alma mater. At times he goes overboard in criticizing the party, which is often seen as his attempt to be seen as “more loyal than the king”.

 

While Capt Amarinder and Sunil Jakhar have genuine and justified reasons to feel angry with the Congress, Bittu has none. Despite having been wronged by the Congress, neither Capt Amarinder nor Jakhar have spoken outrightly anything against the party (the Congress). And they have never gone personal against any leader.

 

Capt Amarinder was shown an unceremonious exit by the party when he was removed as the Punjab Chief Minister in September 2021.

 

Jakhar was refused the Chief Ministerial position despite a majority of party MLAs having supported his candidature. He was denied the position for being a Hindu as a section of leadership in the high command (all of them being Hindus) and avoided appointing a Hindu as the Punjab Chief Minister. 

 

In stark contrast, Bittu has had no grievance against the Congress. Whatever political stature and position he enjoys today, is only because of the Congress. He was specially picked to become the Punjab Youth Congress president in 2008 by Rahul Gandhi, who later nominated him from Shri Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency. 

 

After Manish Tewari declined to contest from Ludhiana, he was fielded from here in 2014 and again in 2019. He won on both occasions. 

 

He was sure to be fielded again in 2024 but he deserted the party and joined the BJP. It is Bittu who deserted the party and not the other way around. That is why not many people appreciate Bittu’s out-of-way criticism against Congress. 

 

His latest snub for his previous party came when efforts were being made by the local BJP and the Congress leadership to reach an “understanding” to come together and prevent the Aam Aadmi Party from getting the Mayor’s post in Ludhiana.

 

Although, it no doubt would have been a marriage of convenience, most of the leaders and elected councillors of both parties were mentally prepared to come together against the “common enemy” that the AAP is for them in Punjab. 

 

However, Bittu spiked the proposal, while asserting that the BJP was looking forward to a “Congress-mukt” Bharat (a Congress-free India) and there was no point in having an understanding in Ludhiana. His remarks did not come as a surprise to anyone, since he has not spoken like that for the first time. 

 

Bittu appears to be positioning and projecting himself for a greater role within the party in Punjab. Jakhar, who has already tendered his resignation, is all set to be replaced very soon.

 

Bittu is understood to be keen on taking over the state leadership of the party, in the course of his future Chief Ministerial ambitions. Hence he has adopted an aggressive stance as far as his new party’s ideology is concerned. 

 

Bittu may have some critics, but a majority of leaders and workers in the BJP are supportive of his stance that there is at least someone who has been articulating the party’s point of view. Moreover, most of the leaders, including those from the BJP have always tried to sound “politically correct” when it comes to taking a position on various sensitive and important issues. 

 

Only Bittu takes a well-defined and unambiguous stand and position that has earned him both, friends and foes at the same time