New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS): The BJP on Saturday slammed the Congress for kicking up an "unwarranted controversy" over its party chief Rahul Gandhi being given a sixth row seat at the Republic Day Parade and accused him of behaving like a "super VVIP".

"The whole nation celebrated the Republic Day with great fervour yesterday (Friday), but the only jarring note in that celebration was the unwarranted controversy raised by the Congress party keeping its newly elected President at the centre," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao told media here.

"I want to tell the Congress party that we are a democracy and not an aristocracy, and in a democracy a government or a democratic setup acts according to the rules, laws.

"It does not function according to individuals," he said

The BJP leader urged the Congress to stop indulging in such "cheap politics" saying that "it does not do any good to Indian democracy and in the new India".

Slamming the Gandhi scion, he said, "Rahul Gandhi is trying to tell the country that I am a super VVIP. And therefore I should be put ahead of everybody else even if I have no position, even if I do not fall in the protocol list."

Rao's remarks came after the Congress accused the Narendra Modi government of indulging in "cheap politics" by allotting the Congress chief a sixth row seat at the parade to which the leaders of 10 Asean nations were invited.

"Where is the question of not giving respect to the opposition leaders? Our party believes in value system as we not only follow the rules and traditions but we also ensure the greatest of respect for all our leaders and opposition leaders," Rao said.

Firing salvos at the Congress, Rao said: "Did you follow this tradition? Did you give a seat to our national presidents when you were in power? Did you give them a place in the VVIP enclosure?"

"But we never made it an issue, because we are a party with true functions of a democracy," he said.

"Whereas you are a party which claims to have a 133-year old illustrious history, but shame on you if this is your democratic spirit and this is your understanding of democracy," he added.