Patna: The BJP on Tuesday accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of bringing disrepute to the country by raising controversial issues on foreign land.

The accusation came from the party's minority cell national president Abdul Rasheed Ansari, who is touring Bihar these days. "The Congress president criticises the country abroad. His politics is based on hatred and he is doing so because he is apprehensive about his bleak political future," Ansari said at a media interaction.

Told that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticises earlier governments during his foreign tours, Rasheed claimed Modi's criticism came while answering questions and not because he wanted to raise a controversy.

"There is a difference between answering a question and raking up a controversy," the BJP minority cell leader said.

The BJP's minority cell vice-president Manpreet Singh too attacked Rahul, asking him not to give the country a bad name during his foreign trips. Manpreet was reacting to a recent assertion by the Congress president in London where he claimed that the Congress had nothing to do with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He said Rahul Gandhi should take back his words and take strict action against those Congress leaders who were involved in the 1984 riots. "There is anger among the people of the Sikh community because of the speech Rahul made and I strongly condemn his stand," Manpreet said.

Ansari, on the other hand, claimed the Narendra Modi government was a well-wisher of the minorities.

"Earlier, funds of the minority affairs ministry used to be surrendered because of non-utilisation but under this government, all funds are not only being utilised but even the budget allocation for this ministry is increasing with each passing year," he said.

Countered with the charge that the BJP was not giving Muslims their due by denying tickets to them in major elections, Ansari defended the party and said it was better to select a candidate on the basis of merit than religion.

"India has already witnessed a partition in the name of religion and now nothing should be done to give vent to such sentiments," he said.