Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 16 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his Independence Day speech and said that the PM haf 'insulted' the very spirit of the day.

In a statement, Kerala CM Vijayan said that the attempt to credit the RSS is a 'historical denial' of several actions related to the RSS.

'The attempt to credit the RSS, which was banned after Gandhi's assassination, and V.D. Savarkar, who faced trial in the assassination conspiracy, with the fatherhood of India's freedom is nothing but historical denial,' Kerala CM said.

'Choosing Independence Day itself to glorify those who served the British is a deliberate insult to the freedom struggle. Such shameful moves cannot whitewash the communal organisation RSS, which carries a poisonous legacy of divisive politics. By using the Independence Day address to glorify the RSS, the Indian Prime Minister has insulted the very spirit of the day,' he added.

Earlier, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising RSS, stating that the organisation doesn't have any history and claimed that the RSS didn't hoist the national flag for a long period.

'RSS doesn't have any history. The Congress party has a longer history in this country. We all know that they (RSS) did not hoist the national flag for a long time, and Vajpayee ji took an initiative on this issue. It is their party's agenda and I don't want to comment on it now...Congress party has always protected the Constitution and the country,' DK Shivakumar told ANI.

In his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for completing 100 years of service to the nation, describing it as the 'biggest NGO in the world' and praising its century-long contribution to nation-building.

'Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland. In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO of the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication,' PM Modi said.

While the RSS did not directly participate in the freedom struggle, some RSS members, like Lala Hansraj, provided shelter to freedom fighters during the Quit India Movement. The RSS rapidly expanded in the 1940s, gaining respect for its volunteers' participation in social and cultural activities. (ANI)