JD(S) slams Pranab Mukherjee's visit to RSS headquarters

H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S), the Congress' coalition partner in Karnataka, today voiced its strong opposition to former president Pranab Mukherjee's visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur recently.

The JD(S) slammed Mukherjee for describing RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as "great son of Mother India".

"He should not have gone there. People will not remember his speech, but the photo clippings. This will legitimise the RSS," JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali told reporters here.

The former president's decision to address the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) Shiksha Varg and attend a parade by Sangh workers on June 7 has raised quite a few eyebrows in the political circle.

The visit had also not gone down well with the Congress leaders initially, though they heaped praise on Mukherjee's speech at the event.

Responding to a query on the proposed 'one nation one election', Ali said the JD(S) and several other opposition parties were opposed to the idea.

"It is not possible as each state has its own issues," he said.

The JD(S) leader also demanded that elections be conducted through ballot papers as he said that several parties have raised fingers at the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs).