New Delhi, July 17: Amid the controversy surrounding his alleged remark that the Congress is a 'party of Muslims', party chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that his party stands with the marginalised and exploited. The 47-year-old Congress Chief said he seeks out to those in pain and supports them despite any religion, caste or beliefs.

“I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me. I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress”, Gandhi tweeted.

Earlier this week, Gandhi’s alleged remarks had created the row. Reports inform that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Gandhi for his comment that he allegedly made to an Urdu newspaper. According to a report by PTI, the Congress chief met the Muslim intellectuals at his Tughlaq Road residence on July 11.

During his rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, the Prime Minister took a jibe at Gandhi’s "pro-Muslimness" and said Congress is a party of Muslims. "I read in the newspaper that the Congress president had said that Congress is a party of Muslims, and there has been a discussion on this for the past two days. I am not surprised as when Manmohan Singh was PM, he had said that Muslims have the first right over natural resources," Modi said.

In a counter-attack, Congress spokesperson Randeep S Surjewala had said in a press conference that BJP's religion is only about power.  "BJP's religion is only about power. Wearing a mask of religion, all they do is satisfy their lust for power. They should understand that to temper with the communal fabric of the country is not part of India's culture," Surjewala said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2018 01:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).