Hitting back at Antony, who had said he was either sleeping or pretending to be asleep all these five years, the 87-year old Marxist leader said "it is Antony who is sleeping like Kumbhakarna," a character in Ramayana known for his prolonged spells of sleep.

"Antony was sleeping when terrorists struck at Mumbai. As Chief Minister he was caught napping while communal carnage occurred at Marad village in Kerala", the CPI-M leader charged at a meet-the-press programme here.

Achuthanandan had yesterday called Rahul Gandhi an "Amul baby" for his jibe that if LDF wins Kerala would have a 93-year old as a chief minister by the next elections.

Achuthanandan's comments against Gandhi has raised the hackles of Congress leaders who dubbed it 'uncivilised'.

He also sought to know why Antony was not included in the committee formed to draft the Lokpal Bill.

Antony had earlier said that Achuthanandan had all of a sudden woken up to proclaim about taking on the corrupt and sexual abusers, after sleeping or pretending to sleep all these five years as chief minister.