Congress cites Bangaru Laxman's funeral to counter PM Modi's attack over Sitaram Yechury

Congress party has accused the BJP top brass of humiliating its founders.

NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-powered BJP saying its top leaders too skipped the funeral of the party's first and only Dalit president Bangaru Laxman in Telangana.

BJP stalwart LK Advani was the only top-level BJP leader who attended the funeral.

Attacking the BJP, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel accused the saffron party of allegedly humiliating its founders and ignoring its first and only Dalit president Bangaru Laxman`s funeral.

Patel took to Twitter and said, "Is it true that when BJP`s first and only Dalit President, Bangaru Laxman ji`s funeral was held in Telangana, except Advani ji no one from present BJP leadership bothered to attend?"

Is it true that when BJP’s first & only Dalit President, Bangaru Laxman ji’s funeral was held in Telangana, except Advani ji no one from present BJP leadership bothered to attend ? — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) November 19, 2018

"The way BJP founders LK Advani ji & Murli Manohar Joshi ji have been humiliated by the BJP leadership, no founder of any political party in India has been treated in such a manner," the newly-appointed Congress treasurer said in a separate tweet.

The way BJP founders L K Advani ji & Murli Manohar Joshi ji have been humiliated by the BJP leadership, no founder of any political party in India has been treated in such a manner — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) November 19, 2018

Patel's attack on the saffron party came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of "throwing" Sitaram Kesri "out of office" when he was the party's president from 1996 to 1998 because of his "Dalit" background.

The PM said this while addressing an election rally in Chhattisgarh`s Mahasamund on Sunday. 

However, several Congress leaders chose to hit back at the Prime Minister since he made the claim.

They also clarified that Kesri was not a 'Dalit' and belonged to the Vaishya community.

"PM is again wrong as Kesari ji was not a Dalit, he belonged to `Vaishya` community. Kesri ji himself offered to resign from the post of Congress president if Sonia ji was ready to take over. At that time I was Sitaram Kesri`s political advisor. So I`m aware of it," Tariq Anwar, a Congress leader, tweeted.

. @PMOIndia is wrong Kesari Ji was not a Dalit,he belonged to 'vaish' community. KesariJi himself offered to resign from post of Congress President if Sonia Ji was ready to take over. At that time I was Sitaram Kesari's political advisor so I'm aware of it @INCIndia @RahulGandhi https://t.co/C3XsVyUNsg — Tariq Anwar (@itariqanwar) November 18, 2018

Anwar's party colleague Manish Tiwari also took to Twitter to accuse the Prime Minister of ignoring the top BJP leaders. 

"You are so concerned about Kesri look at what PM has done to LK Advani, Yashwant Sinha, MM Joshi, Jaswant Singh, Arun Shourie & the list is endless. However, the only reason history is being dredged out is because @narendramodi is scared of going to the people on his own track record," Tiwari said in a tweet.

(With ANI inputs)