Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, on Thursday strongly criticised the Raj Bhavan here for inviting RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy to speak at an event held under the name "Operation Sindoor".
A day after the Rajbhavan organised the speech of Gurumurthy on "Operation Sindoor: Paradigm Shift from Candle Light to BrahMos", at Kerala Raj Bhavan, Satheesan said the Governor's official residence is not the right place for political speeches.
He accused Gurumurthy of making "insulting" comments about former prime ministers and past central governments during his talk.
"We have no problem with events related to Operation Sindoor," Satheesan said.
He told reporters that such programmes should feature military experts or foreign affairs specialists rather than political figures.
The Congress leader termed as "wrong and unfortunate" for the Raj Bhavan to officially invite an "RSS leader" and allow him to make political remarks.
Satheesan demanded that the state government register its protest with the Governor.
"The opposition is strongly protesting the organisation of a political programme at the Raj Bhavan. The government and the chief minister must clarify their stance on this issue," he said.
The Raj Bhavan has not responded to the Congress leader's allegations.
Responding sharply to Satheesan's criticism, senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan said that the days when Raj Bhavans were used for the Congress party's backroom politics and indulgence are over.
He congratulated Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for involving Gurumurthy in the event organised at the Raj Bhavan.
"For Satheesan, Gurumurthy might be just an RSS leader, but in reality, he is also a prominent thinker and economic expert who has contributed significantly to the nation," the former union minister said in a statement.
Taking a swipe at the Congress leader, Muraleedharan added, "Satheesan, who says whatever comes to mind without checking facts, is a true disciple of Rahul Gandhi."
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