Ludhiana, June 5
Senior Congress leader and former General Secretary of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Pawan Dewan, has strongly questioned Union Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, over his recent statement that after 17 years in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, he now wishes to “serve Punjab.” Dewan termed the remark ironical, pointing out that Bittu represented Anandpur Sahib once and Ludhiana twice in the Lok Sabha. “Does Anandpur Sahib or Ludhiana fall in Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu? Was he not serving Punjab while sitting in Lok Sabha for 15 years?” Dewan asked, supplementing his argument by noting that Congress MPs from Punjab have consistently raised every relevant issue concerning the state.
Dewan asserted that the reality behind Bittu’s statement is far different. “The truth is that Bittu miserably failed to meet the expectations of the BJP following which, the party denied him a Rajya Sabha berth and instructed him to pack his bags, shift base to Punjab, and prove his mettle by working hard for the state unit ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections,” he said. According to Dewan, in order to avoid embarrassment, Bittu is now attempting to project himself as a “messiah” of Punjab by issuing such statements.
The former District Congress Committee (Urban) President further questioned Bittu to explain what he had done for the prosperity and betterment of Punjab during his 15 years in the Lok Sabha. Dewan described him as a hollow and opportunist leader who abandoned the Congress despite the fact that his grandfather sacrificed his life for Punjab and the party had elevated him to top organizational posts including President of Punjab Youth Congress besides making him thrice as Member of Parliament. “It is evident that Bittu is only concerned with his own progress and has nothing to do with the welfare of the people,” Dewan declared.
Predicting a bleak future for Bittu, Dewan said, “It is writing on the wall that given his track record, his inaccessibility during his tenure as MP and his failure to resolve issues of the masses, he may contest from any of the 117 Assembly segments, but his defeat is certain. His real face has been exposed before the people of Punjab and now his political career will only witness a downward trend.”
