Ravneet Bittu should immediately apologize for anti-Dalit remarks: Rajinder Singh Badheri

“It is not fair for a patit Ravneet Bittu to talk about sanctity. Let the Congress party take action against him.”

Tejal Gyan Chandigarh:
Prominent Sikh farmer leader, National Delegate of the All India Jat Mahasabha and President of the Mahasabha’s Chandigarh unit, Sardar Rajinder Singh Badheri has taken stern and serious note of Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu’s ‘anti-Dalit’ statement. He said that Bittu should immediately apologize to the entire Dalit community for his statement and Congress party should also take action against him.

In a statement to the press, Badheri said that it was shameful for Ravneet Bittu to say that “Akali Dal has given sacred seats like Anandpur Sahib and Chamkaur Sahib to Bahujan Samaj Party”. He said that Bittu himself had been an MP from Anandpur Sahib. Farmer leader Rajinder Singh Badheri said that Bittu himself should not talk about purity. “He himself has shaved his beard and is a degenerate. Yet he got victory by the grace of the Anandpur Sahib constituency voters. How can an unbearded man, born in a Sikh family convey the message of holiness from a Sikh point of view? Such things don’t seem to be good out of his mouth. ‘

Sardar Badheri further said that when Rahul Gandhi had made Ravneet Bittu the President of the Youth Congress, then at the behest of Rahul Gandhi, Bittu wore the turban for the first time. Then how can such a person talk about such caste.

Sardar Badheri also said that Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the Tenth Patshah, founded the Khalsa Panth on the day of Baisakhi in 1699, then abolished the notion of caste while baptizing the five Beloveds (Panj Pyaras). Bittu should have baptized himself and become a Puran Gursikh immediately after becoming the MP of Anandpur Sahib in 2009 but he did not do so.

Sardar Badheri also said that at present the situation has become such that the children of Dalit families are more concerned about the Sikh etiquettes than other Sikh families and mostly remain ‘Sabat-Surat’ Sikhs (as real Sikhs). They do not cut their beards and hair like some youngsters of other ‘golden castes’.

Sardar Badheri gave the example of Bhai Jaita, a Dalit warrior who had brought the head of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib from Delhi. Mr. Badheri advised Ravneet Singh Bittu that he should first read the history of Anandpur Sahib and Sikhism. He should also remember the martyrdom of Bhai Sangat Singh at Chamkaur Sahib and try to understand well the phrase ‘Manas Ki Jaat Sabe Eke Pehchanbo’.

Sardar Badheri said that Ravneet Singh Bittu had also tried to derail the Farmers’ Protest with his statements. Such statements will never be tolerated.

Mr. Badheri also said, “I am definitely the leader of the Jatt Mahasabha but I do not discriminate on the basis of caste. I respect everyone. I have never discriminated between high and low. Every Sikh is pious, regardless of caste. Caste has been going on in the society from the very beginning but a true Sikh can never discriminate against anyone.