Are you contract killer of idea of India: BJP to Rahul

Rahul Gandhi's Friday interactions abroad in which he equated the RSS to the Muslim Brotherhood has triggered a verbal backlash from the saffron party, which asked whether the Congress president is a "contract killer" of the idea of India.

The BJP held back-to-back press conferences during the day to target Rahul as his interaction with Indian diaspora in Germany and the United Kingdom were what it claimed to be a direct attack on the Narendra Modi government as well as the RSS and the BJP.

"Have you (Rahul) taken 'supari' (contract) against India? Are you a contract killer of the idea called India? Today, Whatever you have done is unforgivable," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters.

"You have said that the ideology of the government is that of the Muslim Brotherhood? You're a parliamentarian and the president of the Congress party," Patra said.

BJP's reaction came as Rahul, in an event at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, said: " Other parties haven't tried to capture India's institutions. RSS's idea is similar to the idea of Muslim brotherhood in the Arab world."

Rahul also attacked Modi government's foreign policy towards China and Pakistan. He said the prime minister has "no deeply thought-out strategy" when it comes to Pakistan.

"Are you saying that India is ruled by a terrorist organisation? Is it that Indians supports terrorists. You are saying that the Indian government is acting like a terrorist outfit to ensure that it is in power. You have no maturity and understanding of India. The only quality you possess is hatred against the prime minister and the BJP, " patra said.

Earlier in the day, the BJP targeted Rahul for invoking Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru, during his address in Germany's Berlin, saying he should apologise for the "heinous crime" at the Golden Temple while "reminding" that the Congress is identified to be behind the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

On Thursday night, Rahul said the Congress's thought of "unity in diversity" came from the times of Guru Nanak Dev and the BJP-RSS divides people and spreads hatred.

BJP National Secretary R P Singh said Rahul was invoking Guru Nanak Dev "merely for vote-bank politics".

"We are pained to know that Gandhi (Rahul), who reminds us of anti-Slkh riots of 1984, claims that his thoughts resemble to the first Sikh guru— Guru Nanak Devji. Actually his thoughts are in line with Congress culture of divide and rule," Singh said.