from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Apr 18: The main Indian opposition political outfit, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday took a dig at Indian prime minister for his remarks projecting Nehru-Gandhi family heir Rahul Gandhi as a future of Indian state Uttar Pradesh and India, terming it as a "sycophancy".

"The prime minister by saying that Rahul Gandhi is future of India has reiterated sycophantic style which is part of Congress politics," BJP spokesperson Rajeev Pratap Rudy said talking to reporters at tourist state of Goa.

Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is already at a height of election campaigning while Goa will follow UP. Rudy, spokesman of saffron party, is down in Goa to address the party leaders.

The BJP has termed prime minister Manmohan Singh's statement representing the "sycophantic style of Congress politics."

The saffron party was also critical of Rahul Gandhi for recent statements during UP electioneering in which he had credited India's independence to Gandhi family. "His remarks that Gandhi family was responsible for independence shows fallow approach of the Congress party. It also demeans millions who participated and sacrificed for freedom struggle," the BJP leader said.

He further said that Rahul's reiteration that his family was responsible for division of Pakistan makes mockery of diplomatic stand taken by Congress party. "Surprisingly, the ministry of external affairs has not been in a position to rebut the strong remarks made by Pakistan post-Gandhi's statements," Rudy +said.

The BJP feels that since over the past decade-and-a-half, India has been emphatically stating that Pakistan is perpetrating terrorism in India and Rahul Gandhi's statement will dilute the stand, Rudy noted.