Satluj spurs massive political row: Union Minister Bittu's warning draws BJP leader Lalpura's 'stay in limit' barb
PTC News Desk: Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu's continued criticism of Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh and the makers of the film Satluj has drawn a sharp response from within the BJP. BJP Parliamentary Board member and National Commission for Minorities chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura, a retired DIG of Punjab Police, has advised Bittu to "stay within his limits" while making public statements.
Earlier, Bittu had challenged the makers of Satluj, warning that disputed figures cannot be presented as historical facts. He asked the film's producers and director to provide documentary evidence, official records, judicial findings and verified data to support the claim made in the film that 25,000 people had disappeared or were illegally cremated during Punjab's militancy period.
Reacting to Bittu's remarks, Iqbal Singh Lalpura said everyone should remain within their limits while commenting on sensitive issues. He pointed out that when human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra raised the issue of 25,000 missing people, he had presented detailed information to support his claims. Lalpura added that the matter had also been examined by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
He said if Bittu wants the relevant data, he should seek it directly from the NHRC.
Bittu had earlier targeted Diljit Dosanjh
Earlier, Ravneet Singh Bittu had rejected allegations that the Centre pressured the OTT platform to remove Satluj. He called the claim a "manufactured narrative" and "propaganda."
"They wanted to create unrest through this film. Let me make it clear that the film was never banned. It is all propaganda. They uploaded the film on the OTT platform themselves and later removed it themselves," Bittu had said.
Bittu, who is also the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, also alleged that while the film highlighted the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, it failed to fairly portray the hardships faced by ordinary people and security forces during Punjab's fight against terrorism.
- PTC NEWS
