New Delhi, May 18 (IANS): Hours after the BJP on Tuesday alleged that former Congress President Rahul Gandhi used the pandemic to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image, the grand old party accused it of propagating a fake toolkit and said that it will file an FIR.

Hitting back at BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, Congress Research Department chairman Rajeev Gowda in a tweet said, "BJP is propagating a fake toolkit on Covid-19 mismanagement and attributing it to AICC Research Department. We are filing an FIR for forgery against (BJP Chief) J.P. Nadda and Sambit Patra. When our country is devastated by Covid, instead of providing relief, BJP shamelessly concocts forgeries."

Earlier in the day, sharing a page on his twitter account, BJP National Spokesperson Patra said, "Friends look at the Congress 'ToolKit' in extending help to the needy during the Pandemic. More of a PR exercise with the help of 'Friendly Journalists' and 'Influencers' than a soulful endeavour. Read for yourselves the agenda of the Congress: CongressToolKitExposed."

Levelling further allegations against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, Patra tweeted, "Disgusting to say the least. Rahul Gandhi wanting to use this opportunity of pandemic to destroy the image of PM Modi. Congress workers were instructed to call the mutant strain as 'Modi strain'. No stone left unturned to scar the name of India with the help of Foreign Journalists."

Controversy broke out after Patra shared the page and BJP leaders used it to slam Congress. BJP National General Secretary and MP, Bhupendra Yadav tweeted, "Instead of helping people fight Covid, Congress wants its supporters to use 'Indian strain' and 'Modi strain' when talking of the new mutant to malign the PM's image. This vulture politics is a new low even by Congress's low standards."

BJP National in-charge of Information and Technology department, Amit Malviya tweeted, "It is brazen and shocking that at a time when India is fighting Covid, the Congress party is fighting India. All that it cares for at this point is to score political points, tarnish the Kumbh as a super spreader while play up Eid as a happy event."

BJP national Secretary, Sunil Deodhar in a tweet said, "Is this not a toolkit of anti-nationals? Instead of fighting Covid, agenda of Congress is to fight Modi and malign India by calling a strain "Indian strain" despite WHO rejecting that term. Worst kind of vulture politics."

BJP MLA from Vandre West, Mumbai, Ashish Shelar pointed out that instead of helping the country to fight Corona, Congress joined hands with anti-national forces. "Shame! Instead of helping Indians fight Corona, Congress joins hands with anti India forces, anti India media to 1.) Spread negative news and false propaganda against Indian Government 2.) Run Paid PR campaign to favor IYC (India Youth Congress)."