Venkaiah Naidu said that for 60 years, the Congress and its dependents were in power at the Centre and states.
At the same time as 24 filmmakers announced on Thursday that they were returning their National Awards to protest against what they called "rising intolerance", Amit Shah, the president of the ruling BJP launched a book titled, 'Know the Truth'.
The purpose of the book, a compilation of writings on "intolerance", said senior BJP leader and union minister Venkaiah Naidu, was to highlight that, "in last 50 years, the other side never had its full say with left leaning people dominating even institutes. Now the other side is also coming out".
"There is no need to twist the debate into social-political intolerance. Wrong perceptions are being spread," Mr Naidu said accusing the protesting members of the intelligentsia of running a "campaign of misinformation...to derail the development agenda of the Modi government".
The booklet is a compilation of 18 opinion pieces and editorials that have appeared in different newspapers after writers and artists have added to the long list of those returning honours.
Apart from two Facebook posts penned by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the compilation also includes pieces written by journalists Tavleen Singh, Swapan Dasgupta, and Censor Board member Ashoke Pandit among others.
"They are dragging the PM as they could not fight him politically. They are trying to use this to defame him and defame the country," Mr Naidu said.
At their press conference, the filmmakers explained their award "wapsi" or return. "Not to speak out would be a crime. We are speaking out to reclaim the soul and spirit of this land," said noted director Saeed Mirza.
"We are not against the BJP, we have protested against the Congress too," said Kundan Shah who made the iconic satire Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.
Responding to the charges today, Mr Naidu, said, "A few incidents over the last months were condemnable, and we condemned them. We have a vested interest in peace because without peace there is no progress."