Siddaramaiah should apologise to nation for his comments on Savarkar: Yediyurappa

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said Congress leader Siddaramaiah should apologise to the nation for his comments on Veer Savarkar comparing him with Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse.

Chief Minister Yediyurappa termed Siddaramaiah's statement as cheap.

"Former Chief Minister and opposition leader Siddaramaiah's statement against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is cheap. I condemn this with strong words," he said.

"Veer Savarkar was a patriot, freedom fighter and even many Congress leaders are in favour of honouring Savarkar with the Bharat Ratna award," said Yediyurappa.

"But Siddaramaiah's statement against Savarkar and comparing him with Nathuram Godse is very cheap, which shows his mentality. That is why Siddaramaiah should apologise to the people of the nation," he added.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday had slammed the BJP for its move to prop up Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar for the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.

Alleging that Savarkar was one of the co-conspirators involved in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, he said the BJP might also felicitate Nathuram Godse with the highest civilian honour.

"BJP is planning to confer the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar, who is accused of conspiring to kill Mahatma Gandhi. BJP might also honour Godse with the Bharat Ratna award. I don't know what is happening in this country," said Siddaramaiah, while speaking at the conference of party workers in Mangaluru.

BJP working president JP Nadda and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Tuesday released the party's manifesto for the coming assembly elections in the state, which among other things had a page on the Bharat Ratna awards proposed for Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Savitribai Phule, and Veer Savarkar.

The Congress party has lashed out at the BJP for propping up the name of Veer Savarkar for Bharat Ratna in the party's manifesto for the Maharashtra elections, scheduled for October 21. The counting of votes will take place on October 24.