Hitting out at Narendra Modi for his remarks on Pranab Mukherjee, Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari today said it was unfortunate that the BJP leader had sought to drag the office of President into political discourse.          "I think its extremely unfortunate that the Chief Minister of Gujarat has sought to trample constitutional propriety by dragging the august office of the President of India into a political discourse," he told reporters in New Delhi.         

He was asked about BJP Prime Ministerial candidate accusing Congress of denying Pranab Mukherjee, now the President, the prime minister's post in 2004 even though he "deserved" the chair.         

Tewari said the President is a symbol of Indian state and is supposed to be above partisan politics - a decorum that has been maintained. "But unfortunately in Chief Minister of Gujarat, you see a tendency that to score political brownie points in order to take a partisan potshot, he does not even spare the office of the President of India."