New Delhi, July 15 : Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "peddler of untruths", Congress on Sunday demanded an apology from him for calling it a "Muslim party".
It also challenged Modi to discuss his accusations against the Congress in Parliament during the Monsoon Session beginning this week.
"Prime Minister is the peddler of untruths and lies. He is lowering the dignity of office by distorting facts and misrepresenting history. He is desperate and has nothing to show for the last four years.
"Congress does not need certification of nationalism from somebody who are the descendants of not only non-participants of the freedom movement but also active collaborators of British," said senior Congress leader Anand Sharma.
Noting the Prime Minister is for "entire India and not only BJP", he said: "Congress has led nationalist movements and struggle for freedom. Calling the party a 'Muslim party' is not befitting of a PM. He has less knowledge of history. He writes his own history.
"With his statements, the PM not only disrespects history but also undermines the achievements of India. This sick mindset of his is an issue of national concern. He should apologise to the nation for making false statements and lying."
The Congress also appealed to Modi not to disrupt to the monsoon session of Parliament like the government did in the last session, but instead give "accounts of the promises he made in 2014".
"He doesn't have courage to have debates in Parliament and talk about his work. Be it on his promises on employment, MSP for farmers..all have been broken."
Asked about Modi saying Congress is interested only in the welfare of Muslim men and not women, Sharma said: "Since when has Modi become the protector of women.... The state (Uttar Pradesh) in which he was speaking is witnessing daily rapes. Even yesterday when he was giving the speech, a woman was gangraped in a temple and burnt alive... what action has he taken?"
"For him to say Congress is obstructing to enact a law in Parliament, is absolutely wrong. We are totally against triple talaq. But, when a bill comes in the parliament, there are some rules... Traditionally, the Standing Committee scrutinises it and only after that it is discussed and a law is enacted," he said, accusing the BJP of trying "their best to bypass the parliament so that there is no scrutiny.
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Kozhikode(Kerala) (PTI): Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who arrived on a two day visit to Kerala after her maiden electoral win, on Saturday attacked the BJP by accusing it of not following usual democratic norms even in political fights.
Priyanka compared the BJP's behaviour with the landslides that hit Wayanad in July, saying just like the natural disaster the saffron party's conduct knows no rules, offers no explanations and follows no democratic norms that are normally adhered to in political fights.
"The political challenges we face (from the BJP) today are like the landslides. There are no rules. There are no explanations."
"The behaviour of the ruling party (at the Centre), the BJP, knows no democratic norms, not even those we normally adhere to in a political fight," she said while speaking at a joint public meeting, with her brother and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, at Mukkam here.
She further contended that institutions were being destroyed leading to the wavering of the people's basic faith in the electoral process and "the institutions that held our country together".
Priyanka assured the people of Wayanad LS constituency that she was in the Parliament for them and it is their voice that she will raise there.
"It is your voice that I will raise, it is your problems that I will try to resolve and it is your beliefs, values and aspirations that I will stand for each and every day from now till the end," she said.
After the joint public meeting at Mukkam in Thiruvambadi assembly constituency here, receptions will be held for her at Karulai in Nilambur, Wandoor, and Edavanna in Eranad during the day, the party said.
The Wayanad constituency comprises seven assembly segments of Mananthavady (ST), Sulthan Bathery (ST), and Kalpetta in Wayanad district; Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district; and Eranad, Nilambur, and Wandoor in Malappuram district.
Priyanka had scored her maiden electoral victory by winning the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll with a huge margin of 4,10,931 votes, which is bigger than the lead her brother Rahul secured when he won from the constituency during the Lok Sabha general elections held early this year.