Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday lashed out at Congress and other Opposition parties for criticising Union minister VK Singh for his 'dog' remark. Swamy said Congress had denied Bharat Ratna to Dr. BR Ambedkar, so it has no right to speak about rights of Scheduled Caste.

"Congress refused to allow Dr. Ambedkar to get Bharat Ratna, who are they to talk about honoring Scheduled Caste?" Swamy said. Backing VK Singh, the former Union minister said,"We must stand with VK Singh. The howls and protests on his alleged anti-SC remark are synthetic and mischievous."

VK Singh on Thursday had said it was wrong to blame the Centre for every crime in states. While referring to the incident in which two children were burnt alive when their house was set on fire by some people of an upper caste community in Sunped village of Faridabad, the minister had said," If somebody will throw stone on dog, then you cannot pass the blame on government," he had said. Clarifying his stand on the controversy that erupted later, Singh said that he does not believe in religion politics. "I have been brought up in a manner in which we fight as Indians."

VK Singh had blamed the local administration for the incident, in which 11 persons, including a father-son duo, have been booked on murder, rioting and other charges. Three people have been arrested so far.

The BJP-led NDA government is under attack from most quarters for the recent demonstrations of intolerance towards the minorities and Dalits. The murder of a Muslim man in Dadri over beef, and now the Faridabad incident have raised several questions. However, the Centre has not taken responsibility for any of the incidents and blamed "fringe" elements for such activities.