NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday slammed the Centre for denying the state an opportunity to take part in the tableau presentation during the Republic Day parade, saying ''this is the Modi mantra of vendetta and vengeance''.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday had hit out at the Centre for denying the state an opportunity to take part in the tableau presentation.

The chief minister had said the Centre denied Karnataka a tableau because there is a Congress government in the state.

Tagging Siddaramaiah's post, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, ''This is the Modi mantra of vendetta and vengeance.'' ''He has not forgotten or forgiven the severe drubbing he personally and his party got in May 2023 in the Karnataka assembly elections. He is a small man really,'' Ramesh said.

According to Siddaramaiah, the proposals for tableaux included showcasing the life of Mysuru ruler Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Kittur Rani Chennamma who fought against the British like Rani Lakshmi Bai and Bengaluru founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.

''The central government has insulted the seven crore Kannadigas by denying the opportunity for the state's tableau at the Republic Day parade to be held in New Delhi on January 26,'' Siddaramaiah had said on social media platform X.

The chief minister had also recalled that Karnataka faced a similar situation last year as well, when the state's tableau was initially rejected but later permitted keeping Karnataka elections in mind.

''This time, the central government has again continued its trend of insulting Kannadigas,'' he charged.

Several tableau proposals were sent from Karnataka, but unfortunately the central government has rejected all these proposals, Siddaramaiah had said.

''It is unfortunate that the MPs of @BJP4Karnataka are not questioning this injustice. They have become puppets of Narendra Modi. To whom are they loyal? Kannadigas or Narendra Modi?'' he had said on X.