The dog jibe of Mallikarjun Kharge at a rally drew angry protests on Tuesday from the BJP which demanded an apology and alleged he was a "rubber stamp" president of the "Italian Congress" which had nothing to do with the original grand old party.

Agitated BJP MPs in both houses of Parliament attacked the Congress after Kharge at a rally in Alwar, Rajasthan during the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday said that while his party helped the country get independence, the BJP did not lose even a "dog" for the nation.

Lok Sabha was adjourned for some time on Tuesday morning over the issue while unruly scenes were seen in Rajya Sabha, as members of treasury and opposition benches sparred with each other.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi expressed his party's strong condemnation of Kharge's comments. He claimed that the opposition party was wrong in claiming the legacy of the freedom movement as Mahatma Gandhi had said after independence that the Congress should be disbanded.

"This is not the original Congress. We all know how it treated leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Sardar Patel who were in the original Congress.

"This is an Italian Congress led by some other people," he told reporters in an apparent reference to the opposition party's longest-serving president Sonia Gandhi's country of birth.

"This is a bogus Congress full of bogus leaders. Their president is a rubber stamp," Joshi alleged, targeting Kharge.

At a rally in Rajasthan on Monday, Kharge claimed that while the Congress stood for the country and helped attain Independence after its leaders gave supreme sacrifices, the BJP did not even sacrifice their dog for the country.

He had also alleged that the BJP government "talks like a lion but acts like a mouse" as it is not taking on China for indulging in incursions along the border and is running away from a debate on the issue in Parliament.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju accused Kharge of using "abusive" language and said this is how politicians become a subject of ridicule in people's minds. "One cannot believe that he can stoop so low," the BJP leader told reporters.

Another Union minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey said such petty comments will sink the Congress and noted that its leader Rahul Gandhi had also used "demeaning" language against armed forces.

"With comments like these, the Bharat Jodo Yatra will turn out to be 'shav yatra' (funeral procession) of the opposition party," he said.

Kharge, however, said that the remarks were made outside Parliament at a rally during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Alwar and should not be discussed in the House

As members of treasury benches demanded an apology from Kharge for his "foul" comment, the Leader of Opposition refused to do so, while maintaining that the BJP had no role in the country's freedom struggle.

Soon after the routine laying of papers, treasury bench members were up on their feet demanding an apology from the Congress leader.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urged protesting members to resume their seats and even asked Leader of House (LoH) Piyush Goyal to persuade the members to maintain decorum in the House.

As protests continued, the Chairman said he does not "appreciate such unruly scenes and chaotic behaviour" in the House.

Goyal said, "Yesterday, Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge used foul language in his speech at Alwar. He made baseless remarks and tried to keep the untruth before the nation. I strongly condemn it and demand an apology from him."

Kharge should apologise to the BJP and the House which has the maximum members from the saffron party, he said.

"The way he has used foul language reflected his thinking and jealousy. ....He (Kharge) may be jealous that his party is not being accepted by people. Use of such foul language is an insult to this House and all citizens," Goyal said.

He said that after the country's Independence Mahatma Gandhi had said that the Congress should be disbanded, and Kharge's behaviour shows what the Father of the Nation had said was true.

Goyal said till Kharge apologises, he has no right to stay in the House.

"What I had said politically was outside the House and not in the House. There is no need to discuss here," Kharge maintained.

"If I repeat what I said outside it would be difficult for them. You are asking for an apology from those who fought for the country's Independence.

"They accused the Congress of holding 'Bharat Todo Yatra', to which I responded by saying that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi gave their lives for the country. Who has given life from your side (saffron party)," Kharge said.

Goyal said the Congress leader has no right to make such a statement as he does not remember history. He does not recall what happened in Jammu and Kashmir, and how China took over 38,000 km of land from India during their regime.

The Lok Sabha also saw heated exchanges between both sides and the proceedings were adjourned till 11.30 am.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal were engaged in a war of words over the issue.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala defended Kharge and said the BJP which is feeling hurt by his remarks should tell "why did the people of BJP ideology stood with the British when the entire country was hurt by their slavery".

"The mindset which earlier stood with the oppression of the British is now standing with inflation, unemployment and hatred in the country.

"Kharge ji has raised a very relevant question - When India's territorial integrity is under threat, when rulers of the day are silent on China's audacity incursions, then it is the responsibility of every patriot to question the silence and hypocrisy of the people sitting in the government who are responsible for this," he said in a series of tweets.