The Congress on Monday criticised the Bharaitya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani's [Images] remark that the grand old party was responsible for the defeat of the dalit icon and that it was anti-dalit saying such remarks smack of "complete ignorance of political history".

"Dr Ambedkar was associated with Congress in the freedom struggle. He had a major role in the drafting of the Constitution. He was a minister in Congress government," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told media-persons in New Delhi [Images].

Criticising Advani for alleging Congress was anti-dalit, Singhvi said "this was complete ignorance of political history".

He said there could be differences of opinion among the leaders at that time (With Ambedkar) but to cloak it as anti-Ambedkar was forgetting history.

Referring to a book Worshipping False Gods written by Arun Shourie, a minister in NDA government, Singhvi alleged it was full of statements against Ambedkar that he was against independence and that he wanted independence only on condition of separate electorate for dalits.

"Did the BJP and Advani seek a clarification from Shourie for the comments made in the book?" Singhvi said. He said "there are people who are used to shedding crocodile tears for political purposes. They are practising hypocrisy with sincerity".