Punjab BJP's Rare Divide Over 'Satluj': Why Ravneet Bittu Is Facing Pushback From His Own Party

Published 13 July 2026 · politics

Punjab BJP's Rare Divide Over 'Satluj': Why Ravneet Bittu Is Facing Pushback From His Own Party Published By, Last Updated: July 13, 2026, 13:13 IST

Punjab BJP's Rare Divide Over 'Satluj': Why Ravneet Bittu Is Facing Pushback From His Own Party Published By, Last Updated: July 13, 2026, 13:13 IST BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia urged restraint, saying Punjab's greatest strength during the years of terrorism was that communal harmony largely survived despite extreme violence. Rapid Read Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu. (Image: PTI) The political storm over Satluj, the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer based on the years of militancy in Punjab, is no longer confined to a debate over history or artistic freedom. The debate may have brought forth rare public differences within the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with senior leaders openly distancing themselves from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu’s remarks and social media campaign on the issue. Bittu, who joined the BJP from the Congress in 2024 and is now a Union Minister of State, has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of Satluj. While he has repeatedly maintained that he is not opposed to the film itself, he has argued that it presents only one side of Punjab’s violent past and risks reopening old wounds. What Triggered The Latest Divide? The latest disagreement erupted after Bittu began sharing posts and videos on X highlighting killings of Hindus during Punjab’s militancy years and questioning what he described as a selective portrayal of history.

His campaign did not go down well with several leaders within his own party. Senior BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia publicly urged restraint, saying Punjab’s greatest strength during the years of terrorism was that communal harmony largely survived despite extreme violence. “Punjab needs to remember that even during the darkest hours of terrorism, the state never witnessed communal clashes, even during the peak of the 1984 riots. That is why the videos posted by fellow party leader Ravneet Bittu on his X handle are not in the right direction. We need to bury our painful past and move ahead," Kalia told The Tribune. Punjab BJP president and Commission for Minorities chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura was even more direct. Without naming Bittu, he said leaders should remain within their limits and avoid making statements that could disturb Punjab’s hard-earned peace. “Everyone should stay within limits. Punjab has suffered enough. We should not rake up issues that disturb communal harmony," he said while stressing that maintaining peace should remain the priority. What Has Bittu Been Saying? Bittu insists that his opposition is not to cinema but to what he believes is an incomplete portrayal of Punjab’s insurgency. He said Satluj tells only one side of the story and ignores the suffering of thousands of innocent civilians, particularly Hindus, who were killed by militants during the insurgency.