Addressing a rally of party workers in Goregaon near Mumbai, Mr Gandhi said the Congress has "given more respect to LK Advani than Modi-ji has".
"I shouldn't be saying this but I will. I feel bad for Advaniji... Everybody knows who is the guru and mentor of Modi -- L K Advani. But the Prime Minister doesn't accord respect to him even at official functions. It is me who follows protocol and I am always with him (Advani) during (such) events," the 47-year-old Congress chief said.
Later in the evening, Mr Gandhi underscored the issue with a tweet and an allusion to Ekalavya, a heroic character from Mahabharata:
BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni lashed out at Mr Gandhi, saying he was practising "the lowest form of politics". Citing the criticism former president Pranab Mukherjee faced from a section of Congress leaders after his decision to accept an invitation from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he said Mr Gandhi should not lecture anyone on politics.
Mr Advani -- architect of the BJP surge in the '90s and Mr Vajpayee's deputy in the NDA government -- was seen to have been shunted aside as PM Modi and his right-hand man Amit Shah took over the party leadership.
After the BJP swept to power in 2014, Mr Advani, along with party veterans Yashwant Sinha and Murli Manohar Joshi, were named its "margdarshak mandal", meaning the guiding lights. The Congress has maintained that it was a ruse to sideline the leaders, since the BJP never takes their advice.
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