The BJP on Thursday upped the ante against Rahul Gandhi, saying the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has committed "treason" with his foolish remarks in the US.

"Rahul Gandhi has committed 'rashtradroh' (treason) in the US. The entire country is hurt by the kind of image of India he has projected in the US," BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said at party headquarters here while replying to media queries.

The Lok Sabha MP said Gandhi's "arrogance" of being the leader of opposition is reflected in Parliament and his "foolishness" in the US.

"When caste is pitted against caste, religion is pitted against religion and harsh comments are made about Sikhs in a foreign country, it is called 'rashtradroh'," the BJP spokesperson said.

Patra said people who do not know how to project India in the right perspective in a foreign land and consistently try to defy "our motherland" should not be taken very seriously.

"Everyone knows who is a 'panauti'? 'Pappu' and 'panauti' go together. Whatever Pappu has touched, it suffered destruction... He is the biggest 'panauti' of the Congress," the BJP leader said in an apparent reference to Gandhi.

Patra said the Congress has been suffering defeats in elections since Gandhi came at the helm.

"Take it in writing, the Congress will not rise so long as he (Rahul Gandhi) is there. The rocket will not launch because there is no fuel in it," the BJP leader added.

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