New Delhi :  The Congress Tuesday launched a scathing attack on BJP leader L.K.Advani for terming the UPA government "illegitimate", saying he was still "fighting" the 2008 no-confidence motion "in his mind".

"Advani ji continues to fight no-confidence motion of 2008 in his mind," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters outside parliament. Advani, while raising the issue of Assam violence, called the UPA II government illegitimate.

He later clarified that he was referring to the trust vote of 2008 and withdrew his comment. UPA 11 is in power since 2009. General elections are in 2014. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) -1 (2004-09 survived the trust vote. But not before three BJP MPs flashed money in the Lok Sabha, saying that the government tried to bribe them to vote in favour of them. Tewari said that it is ok on the part of Advani to "withdraws his comment."

But, he said, the main thing is when an adjournment motion is brought, it should be limited to the subject of motion. "Specially when a situation has arisen which has been called sensitive even by the prime minister. Making such comments to score political brownie points, I don t think it suits a senior politician like him," Tewari told reporters. He also defended Congress President Sonia Gandhi who was visibly agitated at Advani s comment

. "Sonia ji is leading the oldest party of India for last 12 years. She knows very well when to intervene and when not to. When a senior BJP leader says that the government is illegitimate than anyone who believes in democracy should condemn it," the spokesperson added.