New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): Clarifying his comment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi Thursday refuted reports that he praised the BJP leader.

"It's senseless. I pity the understanding of the people who said that I praised Modi," he said, addressing a conference after Congress leader Ajay Maken's press meet.

"Who said that Modi was a symbol of Indian-ness, it's the Congress that has been the symbol of Indian-ness," Dwivedi said.

"What I meant was Modi and the BJP have been successful in making people believe that they are close to them and they represent the people," he said.

Expressing surprise over "how people could go wrong", Dwivedi, who got a notice to explain his stand on the issue, said the Congress could not do what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leaders like Modi succeeded in doing.

"They (BJP and Modi) made people believe that they were with them, the Congress could not do it and that was our failure," Dwivedi said.

In order to rationalise the "mistake", Dwivedi said, "people, including you, me and everybody", have limitation in understanding things and some may have "projected" it in their own way.

"That's why the controversy emerged," he said.

"I know what Indian-ness is all about...Look at my first book, whom I made symbol of Indian-ness there. I don't need any lecture on it from anybody...I understand what it is," he said, reacting to Maken's remark that Dwivedi did not understand the term and the Congress dissociates itself from him over the issue.