Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pragya Thakur has stirred yet another controversy. On Wednesday, Thakur once again termed Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a deshbhakt (patriot) in the Lok Sabha.
During a discussion on the Special Protection Group (SPG) Bill, DMK’s A. Raja cited the example of Godse killing Mahatma Gandhi and said how Godse had admitted that he had a grudge against Gandhi for 32 years before finally deciding to assassinate him.
Interrupting Raja, Thakur said, “Deshbhakton ka naam nahi lenge aap (You cannot give the example of patriots)”.
Defending Thakur, BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that Thakur was talking about Udham Singh, the revolutionary who killed General Dyer. Udham Singh was also cited By Raja in his speech.
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“It’s a gross lie. She reacted when I was giving the example of Godse. But I think her reaction will not go in the record. Udham Singh was a positive example and Godse a negative example. I tried to put across the point that there could be a threat perception to the Gandhi family members due to the policy and philosophy they are upholding and not because they are not Prime Ministers,” The Telegraph quoted Raja as saying.
Thakur was slammed by Congress and other opposition parties.
“Repeatedly referring to Nathuram Godse as a “deshbhakt” is a perfect representation of BJP’s deplorable hate politics. Will PM Modi condemn Pragya Thakur’s remarks or continue to stay silent?” Congress tweeted.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to express his anguish said it is a sad day in the history of India’s Parliament.
“Terrorist Pragya calls terrorist Godse, a patriot. A sad day, in the history of India’s Parliament,” he tweeted.
Earlier in May also, the BJP MP had called Godse a patirot.
“Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a deshbhakt and will remain one,” Thakur had said.
Listen to her statement here:
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