Amarinder Singh said that Rahul Gandhi had made it clear that he stood by freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed by Constitution.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today said Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi needs no certificate of patriotism from a party like BJP which had "released" dreaded terrorists like Masood Azhar.
"BJP has the dubious distinction of being in government while Parliament was attacked and also not only releasing dreaded terrorists like Masood Azhar but also sending them to Kandahar in Afghanistan in a special plane with the then Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh playing the host and escort," he said in a statement in Chandigarh.
The Amritsar lawmaker blamed BJP for creating a mountain out of a molehill over Mr Gandhi's visit to JNU.
"I am surprised as how BJP was maliciously trying to wriggle out of the situation and malign Rahul Gandhi," he said.
Defending the Congress vice president's support to the agitating JNU students, Mr Singh said that Mr Gandhi had made it clear that he stood by freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed by Constitution, while strongly rejecting, opposing and condemning anything that was anti-national.
"BJP's rabble rousing notwithstanding, it has a weak case when it comes to nationalistic and patriotic credentials in comparison with the Congress", he asserted.
He added that Mr Gandhi's patriotic credentials are "too strong" for BJP to criticise, pointing out how his father Rajiv Gandhi and grandmother Indira Gandhi had laid down their lives to safeguard integrity of the country.
Mr Singh also said even though Parliament was attacked under BJP's rule, perpetrators like Afzal Guru as also Ajmal Kasab were hanged by the Congress government.