The BJP today lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for invoking Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru, during his address in Berlin, saying his party is identified with anti-Sikh riots in 1984 and he should apologise for the "heinous crime" at the Golden Temple.

Gandhi is invoking Guru Nanak Dev merely for vote-bank politics. For him, Sikhs are merely vote bank, BJP national secretary R P Singh said. Addressing the Indian diaspora at a function organised by the Indian Overseas Congress in Berlin last night, Gandhi said the Congress's thought of "unity in diversity" came from the times of Guru Nanak Dev, and the BJP-RSS divides people and spreads hatred.