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Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu quits post, President accepts resignation
On the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bittu's resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu, with immediate effect.
Punjab BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu resigned as Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries on Friday. On the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation with immediate effect.
Bittu's Rajya Sabha tenure reportedly ended on June 21 this year. As a Parliamentarian, he represented Rajasthan from August 2024 to June 2026.
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity, Bittu said in a post on X, “I express my heartfelt gratitude to Hon'ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji and Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation as Minister of State in the Government of India.”
“It has been an honour to serve the people of India, especially my beloved Punjab. I remain committed to the ideals of service, nationalism, and the vision of a Viksit Bharat under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji. My journey of public service continues with renewed dedication,” he added.
Punjab poll bid next?
Bittu is likely to focus on the Punjab Assembly elections due next year, news agency PTI reported.
He had earlier expressed his desire to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab, saying he wanted to work for his home state after spending nearly 17 years in Parliament.
"It has been 17 years in Delhi (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha). Now I feel like coming to Vidhan Sabha and work for Punjab," Bittu said last month, according to PTI.
"Our entire leadership is present here today and fully ready to serve Punjab. Assign us the task, we will go to villages, street to street for the betterment of the state and will knock on the door of every house.
"Our real aim is to connect with the people at the ground level by becoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's soldiers," he added.
Who is Ravneet Singh Bittu
Bittu, grandson of former Punjab CM Beant Singh who was assassinated by militants in Punjab secretariat complex in August 1995, served as a three-time Lok Sabha MP since 2009 from Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib constituencies as a Congress candidate.
He then switched to the BJP in March 2024 and contested the Lok Sabha election from Ludhiana against Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring but lost by a margin of 20,942 votes.
Bittu writes to Mann
More recently, the minister on Thursday wrote to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking his intervention for early resolution of issues pending with the state government that are delaying several critical railway infrastructure projects across the state.
In his letter, he emphasised that the timely completion of the projects is not only of national importance but is also crucial for strengthening rail connectivity, boosting economic growth, facilitating industrial development, improving passenger and freight movement, and accelerating the overall development of Punjab.
