New Delhi: Intensifying its attack over Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s reported remark that the Congress is a “party for Muslims”, the BJP on Monday claimed that India’s Partition is testimony to the fact that the Congress’ “appeasement politics” has damaged the country.

The Opposition party, however, vehemently refuted reports and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had, in a public meeting, quoted from a report published recently in an Urdu daily. The Congress has denied the media report as false and baseless.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “The Prime Minister has continuously hurt the dignity of his office. We strictly oppose what he said yesterday. It shows his sick mentality and twisted mindset. He should apologise for his statement.”

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar questioned the Congress president’s silence over the issue and said he should come out in the open and clear his stand. He said the Congress stands exposed by its president’s statement.

“It is a communal party. Its appeasement politics have damaged the country. The history of partition is testimony to this,” Mr Javadekar said. The BJP leader claimed the Congress’ minority cell president Nadeem Javed had justified Mr Gandhi’s remark and asserted he was right in saying that Congress is a Muslim party.

Mr Javadekar said such remarks by a national party chief cannot be ignored and added that similar statements had been made by other Congress leaders as well. He accused the Congress of having a “divisive ideology”, and referred to the anti-Sikh violence in 1984 when thousands of Sikhs were killed following the assassination of Indira Gandhi as the “only genocide” India had witnessed. Last week, Mr Gandhi had met several Muslim intellectuals.

After the meeting, an Urdu published a report which quoted Mr Gandhi as saying, “Yes, Congress is a Muslim party.”