Taking strong exception to the non-inclusion of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the list of freedom fighters in the Government advertisement published in newspapers on Sunday, the Congress attacked BJP government in Karnataka, with its leader Siddaramaiah calling Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai a "RSS slave".
In a series of tweets, Siddaaramaiah, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, even attacked V D Savarkar, who is included in the advertisement, accusing him of pleading with British officials and acting as their "stooge" for his survival.
"When we thought slavery ended with the British gone, CM of Karnataka Bommai proved everyone wrong by showing that he is still a slave to RSS. Not including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the list of freedom fighters in today's govt ad shows how low a CM can go to save his chair," he said.
Noting that Bommai should remember that Nehru wrote letters and books to inspire people to participate in the freedom movement while he was jailed by the British for 9 years, he said, "Looks like RSS is sad that Nehru did not write apology and mercy petitions to British like Savarkar."
"By omitting Nehru from the list of freedom fighters, Bommai has humiliated the entire nation in front of the world. Slow claps to Basavaraj Bommai for giving an opportunity to the rest of the world to mock India," he said, as he urged the Chief Minister to apologise to the entire nation.
The advertisement by the state government's as part of 75th Independence Day celebrations, highlights the contributions and sacrifices of some prominent freedom icons both at the national level and in the state.
Further alleging that RSS has hatred towards Nehru, because he had vociferously opposed it's communalism, its support to murder Mahatma Gandhi, and had banned it, Siddaramaiah asked "But, what is wrong with you? Mr Bommai?"