"It is a grave insult to a senior leader of the Lingayat community," Congress said.
Targeting the BJP over reports that BS Yediyurappa was kept out of a meeting by its central leadership to finalise candidates for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Congress said the ruling party was using the former Chief Minister as a "disposable tissue paper".
Citing a media report which claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda held a closed-door meeting in Delhi on Monday with state leaders keeping out Mr Yediyurappa, the party termed it a "grave insult" to the senior Lingayat leader.
"It is a grave insult to a senior leader of the Lingayat community to hold a meeting with other state leaders by excluding BS Yediyurappa. BSY, who built the BJP in Karnataka, did not get a chair in the BJP's meeting. Does he not have the freedom to decide on a ticket? BSY has become the BJP's disposable tissue paper," the Congress tweeted.
When asked whether he was unhappy as he was not present in the meeting convened by Mr Nadda on Monday morning, BS Yediyurappa had said: "Whatever suggestions I had given, they (BJP leadership) have agreed. We are going to get an absolute majority and we are going to form the government. There is no doubt about it."
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