The BJP today accused Rahul Gandhi of belittling and insulting India in his address at an event in Germany, alleging that the Congress president tried to justify terrorism and "lied through his teeth" to attack the Narendra Modi government.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra sought the Congress chief's apology on his comments on a range of issues, claiming that he presented India in a bad light by allegedly blaming the country's culture for violence against women.
Addressing a gathering at the Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg yesterday, Gandhi had cited the example of the Islamic State (IS) to say the exclusion of a large number of people from the development process could lead to creation of terrorist groups in the world.
He had then accused the BJP government of excluding the tribals, Dalits and minorities from the development narrative, adding that "this could be a dangerous thing".
Hitting back at the Congress chief, Patra told reporters, "Rahul Gandhi left no opportunity to belittle India and present it in a bad light. His speech was full of lies and deception and its sole aim was to insult India...He should apologise."
Taking a dig at Gandhi, he said, "Rahul Gandhi has behaved like Rahul Gandhi and expecting any maturity from him is a futile exercise."
Gandhi tried to justify terrorism and a terror outfit like the IS, Patra said, adding, "There cannot be anything more frightening and worrying."