Congress leader's tweet on Atal Bihari Vajpayee sparks row amid Rahul's tribute

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has questioned the timing of a Congress functionary's controversial remarks on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, All India Congress Committee coordinator Gaurav Pandhi attacked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) saying the late BJP leader worked as "British informer" during Quit India movement. (Video: Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Vajpayee in t-shirt amid Delhi winter chill)

In a now-deleted tweet, Pandhi said, "In 1942, like all other members of the RSS, Atal Bihari Vajpayee boycotted the Quit India Movement and worked as a British Informer reporting against those who participated in the Andolan."

"Be it Nellie massacre or demolition of Babri, Vajpayee played an important role in inciting mobs. There is a reason why BJP leaders today always liken Modi with Gandhi, Patel or other Congress leaders and not Savarkar, Vajpayee or Golwalkar. They know the truth!" he added.

Pandhi tweets came at a time when Congress was busy promoting Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to the samadhi of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, ‘Sadaiv Atal’, to pay floral tributes to the former PM in “keeping with the spirit of the Bharat Jodo Yatra”.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that deleting the tweet was not enough and demanded Congress to clarify its stand and apologise for Pandhi's remarks. He also called for the sacking of Pandhi, saying “Or else we will be forced to believe that Shabd Pandhi ke , Soch Rahul Gandhi ki.”

Uttar Pradesh minister Jitin Prasada, who recently switched to BJP from Congress, asked whether the remarks by Pandhi had “official sanction from the party”.

“Leaders like Atalji have earned the respect of leaders across political lines and the love of the people of India because of his undying commitment to the nation. Does this have official sanction from the party ?” Prasada wrote on Twitter.