Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Dharmendra Pradhan took a jibe at Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over her newspaper article on democracy and independence of institutions, saying it was an "illusory" statement of the highest improbity and a "classic example of Modi hatred".

The ministers hit back at the former Congress president after she accused the Narendra Modi government of "misusing every power".

In an Op-Ed in "The Hindu", Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Modi and his government of "systematically dismantling" the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, saying their actions demonstrate a "deep-rooted disdain" for democracy.

Reacting sharply, Law Minister Rijiju tweeted, "Smt Sonia Gandhi is lecturing about Democracy? Congress Party talking about independence of Judiciary is: An illusory statement of the highest improbity." Education Minister Pradhan dubbed her remarks as a "classic example of Modi hatred, misplaced priorities and overestimation of relevance at the national level." "It is the Congress which is at the crossroads and not the nation. The days ahead are crucial, but for the grand old party which is on the verge of a political crisis," he said.

In a series of tweets, he charged that from Rajasthan to Chhattisgarh and from Madhya Pradesh to Karnataka, the Congress must first take its message to its organisational apparatus which is withering due to lack of internal democracy as well as due to the coterie of sycophants.

"It is not the test of democracy but purely the test of Congress. Congress leadership must come out of their illusion and wake up to the ground reality - India's democracy is flourishing, people know PM Modi’s intentions and that is why they believe and bless him," he said.

Assembly polls Karnataka are slated for May 10 and in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh later this year.

In her article, Sonia Gandhi underlined that the next few months will be a crucial test of India's democracy and that the country is at the crossroads with the Modi government bent on "misusing every power" and elections approaching in several key states.

"The Congress party will make every effort to take its message directly to the people, as it did in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, and will join hands with all like-minded parties to defend the Constitution of India and its ideals," she wrote.

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