Congress leader Rahul Gandhi confronted BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu outside the Lok Sabha chamber on Monday, calling him a "traitor friend" in an exchange that was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media platforms.

Bittu, who defected from Congress to BJP, refused to shake Gandhi's hand and responded by calling the Leader of Opposition "desh ke dushman" (enemy of the nation).

The heated exchange occurred near the Makar Dwar gate of Parliament. Video footage shows Gandhi stopping Bittu, who was walking ahead of him, to initiate the conversation.

"You will return," Gandhi told Bittu after labeling him a traitor, suggesting the former Congress MP would eventually rejoin the party.

The clip spread rapidly on X and Threads, drawing significant attention to the bitter exchange between former party colleagues.

Ravneet Singh Bittu, grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, was a Congress MP from Ludhiana before switching allegiance to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His defection was seen as a significant loss for Congress in Punjab.

The public confrontation reflects the deep animosity that often develops between party loyalists and those who switch sides, particularly when the defector joins the principal opposition.

The exchange comes amid heightened tensions between the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress during the ongoing Parliament session. Earlier in the day, eight Congress MPs were suspended from Lok Sabha following a confrontation over Rahul Gandhi being barred from citing former Army Chief Naravane's memoir.

The viral video has added another flashpoint to an already contentious parliamentary session.