New Delhi: The BJP condemned Thursday its Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Pragya Singh Thakur’s praise for Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as ‘patriot’ and asked her to tender a public apology.
“We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement,” BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said in a statement.
Pragya, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, ignited a fresh controversy Thursday by claiming that Godse ‘is and will remain a patriot’.
Talking to a news channel in Madhya Pradesh, she had said, “Nathuram Godse was a ‘deshbhakt’ (patriot), he is and will remain a ‘deshbhakt’. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election.”
This is not the first time Pragya’s extreme views have embarrassed the BJP after it fielded her from Bhopal against Congress leader Digvijay Singh, projecting her as a ‘victim’ of the UPA government’s ‘fake Hindu terror’ theory.
It should be stated here that Pragya was earlier forced to apologise after claiming that IPS officer Hemant Karkare, who was killed by terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, died as she had cursed him after her arrest in Malegaon blast case.
In another separate development, the NCP attacked the BJP over Pragya’s remark stating that people can now see the ‘real face’ of the Amit Shah-led party.
The NCP also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clear whether Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, was indeed a patriot as stated by Pragya.
“Nathuram Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by BJP’s candidate Pragya Thakur and is being called a patriot. People can now see @BJP4India ‘s real face through.@SadhviPragya_MP,” Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil said on Twitter.