Jorhat: Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday criticised former President Pranab Mukherjee for taking part in a programme at the RSS's headquarters in Nagpur on Thursday.

Gogoi told reporters at Jorhat Press Club: "The former President should not have attended the RSS event in view of the ideology he followed."

He said Mukherjee knows about the "inflexible ideology preached and practised by the RSS very well" and it was "completely opposite" to what he as former Congress leader and former President had "believed and practised".

Gogoi said "a man of his level" should not have attended the RSS event as throughout his public life, Mukherjee was known for "believing in pluralistic and secular ideals".

The former chief minister also expressed surprise over Mukherjee reportedly praising RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar as a "great son of mother India".