Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit back at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has been cornering the Congress president over his alleged statement his was "Muslim party". Breaking his silence over the alleged remark, Rahul Gandhi said he stands with "persecuted".

"I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter stressing on his party's ideology.

"I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress," he added.

I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me.

I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear.

I love all living beings.

I am the Congress.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 17, 2018

A war of words had erupted over an Urdu daily's report that Rahul, during an interaction with Muslim intellectual last week, had told them that Congress was a party for Muslims.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used this report to target the Congress and its leadership during his rally in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh.

"I read in the newspaper that naamdar (entitled) had said that the Congress is a party of Muslims, and there has been discussion on this for the past two days,” he said in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi's recent meeting with Muslim intellectuals. "I am not surprised as when Manmohan Singh was the PM, he had said that Muslims have the first right over natural resources," PM Modi had said.

"But I want to ask the Congress whether it is a party of Muslim men alone," he added.