NEW DELHI: Union HRD minister Smriti Irani on Friday hit back at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over his remark that the National Herald case is a "hundred per cent vendetta coming out of PMO", saying there cannot be a bigger "insult" to country's democracy than his views on it.

Speaking during 'Agenda Aaj Tak' conference here, Irani also targeted Congress leaders over disruption in functioning of Parliament.

"There cannot be a bigger insult to country's democracy and judiciary. If he thinks country's judiciary functions at someone's instructions, then there can't be a bigger insult of country's court.

"The kind of comments Rahulji is making, the only message nation is getting is that if country's law and judiciary don't kneel before Gandhi family the Parliament will not be allowed to work," she alleged.

Irani, who had unsuccessfully contested 2014 Lok Sabha polls against Gandhi from Amethi constituency, said, courts in the country are "independent and there is no individual, who is bigger than the law."

On the issue of "intolerance", Irani claimed, no one returned award if something went wrong during Congress' regime.

She added the foundation of the country's democracy was in allowing one to express him/herself.

"When someone asks me about tolerance, I say I am a Hindu woman, married to a Parsi. My children will not be Hindu, but Parsi. There can't be bigger example I can give to the nation," she said citing her own example.

On another question, the minister maintained education will play an important role in curbing terrorism and said the government is taking efforts to see students from class IX to XII were exposed to socio-political happenings in the world.

She also stressed the Centre is making efforts to increase standards of education imparted by government schools and also added that government is taking measures to strengthen base of country's education system.

Congress leaders, including Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul have been summoned by a Delhi court on December 19 on a complaint by BJP's Subramanian Swamy against them, for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in taking control of the now-defunct newspaper.

Rahul Gandhi had on December 9 said that the National Herald case is "hundred per cent political vendetta coming out of PMO" but declared that he had full faith in the judiciary.

"One hundred per cent political vendetta. Pure political vendetta coming out of PMO. It is their way of doing politics. Pure 100 per cent vendetta," Gandhi had said.