Foreign minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today said Rahul Gandhi's words about the party's treatment towards L.K. Advani 'has hurt us deeply'.

Rahul had accused Narendra Modi of humiliating Advani and told a rally in Maharashtra: 'BJP talks of Hinduism. In Hinduism, guru is supreme. It talks of guru-shishya tradition. Who is Modi's guru? Advani. Joota maar ke stage se utara (Advani was kicked out from stage).'

Sushma, in a reply to this comment, tweeted: 'Rahulji - Advani ji is our father figure. Your words have hurt us deeply. Please try to maintain some decorum of your speech.'

Rahul's comment on Modi's relations with Advani came a day after the BJP senior wrote in a blog: 'Right from its inception, the BJP has never regarded those who disagree with us politically as our 'enemies', but only as our adversaries. Similarly, in our conception of Indian nationalism, we have never regarded those who disagree with us politically as 'anti-national'.'

This comment was widely seen as Advani's criticism of Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, under whose duopoly party leaders have resorted to calling ideological adversaries 'anti-national' in TV debates and political speeches.

The BJP has already made it clear that Advani will not contest this election. The BJP face for Gandhinagar, which was Advani's constituency, is Shah.