Congress needs to introspect why leaders deserting party, says Ravneet Bittu

Ludhiana, Apr 2 (PTI) The Congress needs to introspect why its leaders are deserting the party, said three-time MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, who recently joined the BJP after quitting the grand old party.

Bittu, the Ludhiana MP since 2014, will contest the Lok Sabha elections from the constituency on a BJP ticket.

"The party that is being deserted by the best of its leaders and workers needs to introspect why this is happening," he said on Tuesday.

Bittu -- the grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a terror attack in 1995 -- arrived in Ludhiana by train from Delhi after joining the BJP and was accorded a rousing reception at the station.

The Congress, Bittu claimed, is faced with confusion, chaos and contradictions and doesn't know what to do in the current scenario.

"Punjab is a border state that is always under threat from anti-national forces. We need to take Punjab towards peace, progress and happiness while tackling anti-nationals. We have lost so many lives fighting against these forces. Only the BJP can take the nationalist agenda forward under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he told reporters.

The same agenda has to be carried out in Punjab so that our state prospers, he stressed.

Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are concerned about Punjab and Punjabis, he stated.

"My grandfather, the late Beant Singh, also sacrificed his life for the peace of Punjab while fighting against terrorism. Now, terrorism has taken a new shape in the state. Punjab has to come out of this for multi-dimensional development that is only possible if the BJP is voted to power again," he added.

Commenting on the development of Ludhiana, Bittu said a number of projects were brought to Ludhiana during his last term.

"This time, if the voters give me a hat-trick chance, I will reshape Ludhiana with the BJP at the Centre," he said.

"Be it industrialists, traders, shopkeepers, farmers, farm labourers or any other, I will take them to the Union government for their redressal," he added.

Bittu admitted that there may have been some shortcomings on his part "as I am also a human being and to commit mistakes is human nature but I have also learnt from my shortcomings".

He also thanked his former party, saying the Congress nominated him as its candidate from Anandpur Sahib in 2009 and made him a three-time MP.

"I am grateful to the Congress for making Bittu what he is today," he said.

Bittu won the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 from Anandpur Sahib before switching to Ludhiana in 2014. PTI COR CHS SZM