CHANDIGARH, MAY 29 — Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party State President Aman Arora on Thursday delivered a sharp rebuttal to Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, characterizing recent visual confrontations in Dhuri and Sangrur as behavior unbefitting a constitutional office holder.
Arora stated during a press briefing that while the state government remains focused on maintaining administrative order ahead of municipal elections, Bittu chose to escalate personal friction rather than answer systemic questions regarding his policy stances and past actions.
“When our party and I raised ideological questions against this hooliganism, instead of answering those questions, Bittu crossed all limits of decency,” Arora stated. “He stooped to completely below-the-belt politics and started cheap mudslinging at me and my late father.”
The minister sharply questioned the consistency of Bittu’s public criticisms of state law enforcement. Arora pointed out that during the 2017 Congress administration, structural protocols were set aside to secure a direct DSP appointment for Bittu’s brother, Gur Iqbal Singh Honey. He asked why identical standard exemptions were not extended to the families of the 17 police personnel who were killed alongside Bittu’s grandfather, former Chief Minister Beant Singh, leaving those families to struggle without similar state welfare benefits.
Addressing Bittu’s characterization of him as a political turncoat, Arora drew a contrast between their respective political shifts. He noted that he exited the Congress party a decade ago in 2016 based strictly on foundational principles to help establish a new political alternative. Conversely, Arora stated that Bittu abandoned his lifelong affiliation with Congress on the eve of the 2024 general elections purely out of a fear of electoral defeat and a desire to retain central power with the BJP.
Arora also addressed allegations regarding property management and personal integrity. Responding to claims concerning old transport businesses and real estate acquisitions, the minister extended a comprehensive challenge regarding his tenure heading the Housing Department.
“Forget just Ludhiana, anywhere in Punjab, if during my tenure as minister even one inch of land was grabbed, or even purchased improperly, come and point it out, and I will transfer that land in your name today itself,” Arora asserted. He concluded by stating that his character remains validated by the residents of Sunam, who elected him with a historic margin of more than 75,000 votes, rather than by political metrics provided by opposition figures.
