Randeep Surjewala also highlighted some past speeches of PM Modi
The Congress on Friday said BJP veteran L K Advani has made a "stinging indictment" of the politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and it is time for the duo to introspect.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Mr Advani has "exposed" both PM Modi and Mr Shah, alleging that they "hurl abuses and vitriol at their political opponents that reflect their political bankruptcy".
Accusing PM Modi and Mr Shah of being "habitual offenders" of labelling every opponent as "anti-national" and "Pak agents", the Congress leader asked who the "real anti-national" was, as he highlighted some past speeches of PM Modi making critical remarks on the armed forces.
"BJP patriarch and Modiji's political guru, Shri L K Advani in a stinging indictment to demeaning politics of Modi-Shah duo, founded on hurling abuses on political opponents, has exposed Modi-Shah's duplicity and hypocrisy," he told reporters.
"Time for Modi-Shah duo to introspect on Shri Advani's remarks and tell the nation who is really ''anti-national'' or not," he also said.
Mr Advani, had in a blog on Thursday, said his party has never regarded those who disagreed with it politically as "anti-nationals" or "enemies" but only as adversaries, remarks which come at a time when top BJP leaders have used anti-national barbs against political rivals on the issue of national security.
Mr Surjewala said Mr Advani has said that "our conception of Indian nationalism, we have never regarded those who disagree with us politically as 'anti-national''."
"While we politically disagree with many of Shri L K Advani's views, his deceiving disciples - Modi-Shah - have unashamedly refused to even acknowledge the stinging indictment of their arrogant working style," he said.
Former Finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said Mr Advani's comments are an indictment of PM Modi and his government.
Senior leader Kapil Sibal also said, "Advani: Never regarded those who disagreed with us politically as enemies or anti-national, only adversaries. Under Modi ji BJP's thought processes have been both: Changed and Maimed.
"Listen Modi ji to one who helped you in your journey to Delhi," Mr Sibal also said.
Mr Advani, who has been replaced by party president Amit Shah in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, wrote a blog titled ''Nation First, Party Next, SelfLast'' ahead of the party's foundation day on April 6, in which he said, "The essence of the Indian democracy is respect for diversity and freedom of expression."
In the blog, written almost five years after he posted the last piece on its web page, the 91-year-old leader said, "Right from its inception, the BJP has never regarded those who disagree with us politically as our ''enemies'', but only as our adversaries."
Mr Surjewala said, "Modi-Shah duos are habitual offenders of labelling, cataloguing, categorizing every opponent as an ''Anti National'' and ''Pak Agents'', besides hurling abuse and vitriol every second. This reflects the political bankruptcy of PM Modi and Shri Amit Shah."
"As they hide being the valour of Armed Forces and brazenly use the bravery of Armed Forces as a political pamphlet to seek votes, time has come to expose the game of deception," he also said.
Playing some of PM Modi's past speeches in which he made certain references towards the armed forces, Mr Surjewala said PM Modi must answer to India's 130 crore people as the remarks are seen as ''anti-armed forces''.