Congress MPs on Wednesday staged a protest accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “compromised”, setting the stage for a heated exchange between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu.The protesting Congress MPs assembled outside Parliament holding placards that read “PM is compromised”, reiterating claims made a day earlier by Rahul Gandhi to the media over the India-US trade agreement.As Bittu walked past the demonstrators, Rahul Gandhi directed a remark at him, calling him a “traitor friend” and pointing him out to his colleagues. Gandhi then extended his hand towards Bittu, addressing him sarcastically and suggesting that he would eventually return to the Congress.Bittu refused to shake hands and responded angrily, accusing Gandhi of being against the country. The two were briefly seen exchanging sharp words. The verbal spat further heightened the charged atmosphere surrounding the protest, which had already drawn attention inside and outside Parliament.The confrontation came amid heightened tensions in the Lok Sabha following the suspension of eight opposition MPs for the remainder of the session.Those suspended include Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, B Manickam Tagore, Dr Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and S Venkatesan.
