Congress defends Surjewala addressing Brahmin seminar

New Delhi : Facing accusation of playing the "Brahmin card", the Congress on Wednesday defended party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala addressing a Brahmin seminar wherein he claimed his party has "Brahmin Samaj's DNA in its blood".

Addressing the state-level Brahmin seminar on September 2 in Haryana's Kurukshetra, Surjewala had said: "Indian National Congress is a party in whose blood there is Brahmin Samaj's DNA."

In his speech, he likened Congress president Rahul Gandhi's "fight" with the BJP to the one between "gods and demons."

With the BJP now accusing the Congress palying the "Brahmin card", Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi came out in support of his party colleague.

"The Congress has done this many times earlier. A person belonging to a party in our department does it, and you just attack for the sake of attacking, have we not had an ‘OBC Sammelan', have you not had a ‘SC/ST Sammelan', have you not a ‘Brahmin Sammelan' earlier?" Singhvi told the media here.

Singhvi said the BJP's attack on Gandhi's Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was out of desperation and fear.

Ridiculing Congress, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the party has the DNA of a "chameleon which changes colour that suits its political ambitions."