BJP's motormouth candidate Pragya Thakur on Thursday stunned everyone including her own party by declaring Mahatma Gandhi's shooter, Nathuram Godse, a "true patriot".
Thakur, a Malegaon blasts accused currently out on bail and contending on a BJP ticket from Bhopal, said, "Nathuram Godse ek deshbhakt the, deshbhakt hain aur deshbhakt rahenge [Nathuram Godse was, is, and will remain a patriot]."
She said the people who called Godse a terrorist should "introspect". "Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she said while responding to a question on Tamil actor-politician Kamal Haasan's comments that Godse was "independent India's first terrorist".
A few weeks ago, Pragya had left the BJP in a spot with her remark that decorated IPS officer Hemant Karkare, who died fighting the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was killed because of her "curse".
Waking up to the controversy early this time, the Election Commission sought a factual report from Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer by Friday on her statement.
The BJP leadership was quick to distance itself from the remark. "We completely disagree with what she has said and we strongly condemn it. The BJP will ask her why she made such a statement. It would be proper for her to tender a public apology for this objectionable statement," said BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao. There was no comment from the ruling party's top brass.
Later, BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai said that Pragya had apologised for her statement, but refused to share the details of the apology. "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement," he said. Questioned, Pragya just said, "Party's line is my line."
Opposition parties lapped up the issue to attack the BJP, questioning its nationalism in fielding Pragya whose candidature was backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: "India's soul is under attack from Godse's successors. BJP leaders are describing the murderer of Father of the Nation as a true nationalist. This is an insult to the country."
BJP SHOT IN FOOT
- Pragya called Godse a ‘deshbhakt’ while replying to a question on Kamal Haasan’s remark that ‘free India’s first extremist’ was a Hindu
- Last month, she kicked up a storm by saying IPS officer Karkare died during 26/11 attack as she’d ‘cursed’ him for torturing her; apologised
"If the killer of the Father of the Nation is a patriot, does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?"
— Omar Abdullah, NC leader
"Modiji, Amit Shahji and the state BJP should apologise to the nation. Godse was a killer. Glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition."
— Digvijay Singh, Cong candidate
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