Swamy calls Amartya Sen 'traitor'

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Sunday called Bharat Ratna awardee Amartya Sen a traitor.

Speaking to ANI, the BJP leader said, "They (RSS) are also citizens of this country. They have worked hard and were not recognized fully.  I think RSS people have done social work without any expectation. NDA gave it to Amartya Sen, who is a traitor. What has he done for the country except looting Nalanda University? Just because he was a left-wing and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi pressed for it he got it."

Swamy's statement comes after the Congress attacked the BJP for conferring the Padma Awards to some RSS leaders.

Earlier, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the government has conferred the Padma awards to persons who were engaged in propagation and expansion of the BJP.

In a tweet, he listed out names of five people who have figured in Padma award list including RSS leader Ved Prakash Nanda and Kerala RSS pracharak chief P Parmeshwar.

He said that the government gave the award to Nanda, who has been propagating the RSS views and Indian culture among the NRIs and Parmeshwar, who helped BJP establish itself in the state.

--ANI