MANGALURU: The Congress in Karnataka on Sunday deplored the BJP's proposal to confer Bharat Ratna on Veer Savarkar.

Addressing reporters here, KPCC spokesman Ivan D'Souza MLC said the saffron party's agenda was to score gains in Maharashtra assembly elections by mooting such a proposal.

The BJP was attempting to promote "traitors" as patriots only during elections, he said.

The BJP government should not choose a person like Savarkar for the nations highest award, despite the fact that he was named in the conspiracy case to eliminate Mahatma Gandhi , he said.

The Maharashtra BJP unit had said in its election manifesto that the party would ask the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar , popularly known as Veer Savarkar.

Pointing out that Savarkar had written six letters to the British revealing his wish to surrender within two weeks of landing in jail, D'Souza sought to know how such a person could be called a freedom fighter.

He wanted the Centre to consider former state chief minister Siddaramaiah 's proposal to confer Bharat Ratna on Siddaganga seer Shivakumara Swami.

The BJP was creating unnecessary narratives during polls just to divert attention of the people from the real issues, he alleged.

Former mayor Kavitha Sanil was also present.

