Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday accused his successor Bhupesh Baghel of distorting history, saying the latter has "less knowledge" about social reformer Veer Savarkar.
"Bhupesh Baghel is misleading the people. He has less knowledge about Veer Savarkar. He is trying to distort historical facts. Veer Savarkar devoted his entire life in the freedom struggle and fought for the independence of our country," Singh told .
He said that Savarkar was one of the freedom fighters who was sentenced to life imprisonment and played a key role in promoting unity and harmony.
"One should visit Cellular Jail (in Port Blair) to see what sacrifices he gave for our country. We remember him even today due to his tireless efforts in ensuring that our country is freed from the British," Singh said.
On Monday, Baghel had claimed that Savarkar was the first one to propose the two-nation theory that led to the formation of India and Pakistan, while Muhammad Ali Jinnah implemented it.
"Savarkar had put forward the proposal of dividing the country into two parts on religious grounds and Jinnah had implemented it. This is a historical fact and no one can deny it," Baghel had told reporters.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Savarkar on his 136th birth anniversary.
"We bow to Veer Savarkar on his Jayanti. Veer Savarkar epitomises courage, patriotism and unflinching commitment to a strong India. He inspired many people to devote themselves towards the nation building," he tweeted.
In addition to Modi, BJP leaders including LK Adv and Sumitra Mahajan paid floral tributes to Savarkar at the Parliament earlier in the day.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar, was an Indian independence activist, politician, lawyer, and writer. He is known for coining the term 'Hindutva' and formulating the philosophy.
( With inputs from ANI )