Members of the Congress' youth and students' wings on Saturday held protests here over Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asking Rahul Gandhi whether the BJP ever told him to prove he was Rajiv Gandhi's son.
During a rally in poll-bound Uttarakhand, Sarma on Friday attacked Gandhi for demanding proof of the September 2016 surgical strike and questioning the efficacy of the anti-Covid vaccines.
He asked whether the BJP had ever demanded proof of him being the "son of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi".
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activists led by the outfit's president Srinivas B V staged a protest near Assam Bhawan while the National Students' Union of India demonstrated outside its national office.
"Chief Minister of Assam. Sarma has lost his mental balance and his statement is an example of his pettiness and poor thinking," Srinivas said during the protest.
NSUI workers were seen rubbing black ink on the effigy of Sarma and raising slogans against him. They demanded that Sarma resign from his post immediately and issue an apology.
Condemning Sarma, NSUI National Secretary Nitish Gaur said, "The chief minister has made very deplorable remarks. It is an insult to the (former) prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.
"It does not suit a person sitting at such a high position to make such comment. He must make a public apology for such remarks. He should resign from his position immediately," Gaur said.
The remarks drew sharp criticism from the Congress party.
The Congress in Assam on Friday accused Sarma of tarnishing the state's image with his controversial statement.
KCR asks Modi to sack CM
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Sarma over his remarks.
Targetting Sarma for his comments, Rao asked, "Modiji! Is this our Indian culture?. Is this what has been taught in the Vedas, MahaBharat, Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita? I am asking BJP President Naddaji. Is it our culture?"
"You sack him (Assam CM). I am demanding.. Can a Chief Minister talk like this? There are limits. Are you egoistic? Doing tamash? You think people will remain silent," said KCR.