Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against Amit Shah during his speech at the the Congress’ plenary session were false and a motivated campaign. Earlier in the day, Gandhi had said that people accepted a murder accused as the BJP president while they would not have done so if it was the Congress chief.

“Astonishing that Congress president chooses to name BJP President Amit Shah and says he is murder accused,” said Sitharaman. “He has been cleared by a court. This is a fake and false motivated campaign by someone who is out on bail on criminal conspiracy of fraud in National Herald case.”

Sitharaman said Gandhi’s scathing attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Congress plenary session was the “rhetoric of a loser, devoid of substance”. She questioned how could the Congress, which questioned the fundamental existence of Lord Ram, identify itself with the Pandavas. Gandhi had said the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were like Kauravas designed to fight for power while the Congress was the Pandavas who fight for the truth. “It is the party which chooses to mock Hindus and Hindu rituals,” said Sitharaman.

Sitharaman also responded to the Congress’ demand for ballot papers. The party on Saturday had said the Election Commission should go back to the use of ballot paper in elections. It has expressed concerns about the electronic voter machines being vulnerable to manipulation. “Congress is even questioning the EVMs,” said Sitharaman. “At a time when technology is making it simpler and more transparent, here is a party that is against it because they don’t believe in transparency.”

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said Gandhi’s speech was the worst in the history of speeches delivered by Congress leaders. “He has accused [the] BJP for the things for which the Congress should apologise,” said Javadekar. “They’ve done the worst kind of genocide for Sikhs and justified it.”