BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday asked the BJP to take action against its Lok Sabha MP Pragya Singh Thakur for referring to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a 'deshbhakt'.
The BJP MP from Bhopal referred to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Godse as a "deshbhakt" during a debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, triggering a protest by opposition members.
Even during the Lok Sabha election campaign, Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, had described Godse as a "patriot", triggering a huge political storm and all-around condemnation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he would never be able to forgive her fully.
The Hindutva activist had then withdrawn the statement and issued an apology.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Nath asked the BJP to clarify its stand on the issue.
Modi ji had said that he will never forgive Bhopal's BJP MP Pragya Thakur for terming Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a patriot.
"Modi ji should not forgive her for repeating this statement in the sacred temple of democracy Parliament," Nath said.
In another tweet, the Congress leader said, "The country will never forgive her for this statement. The country now wants to know from the BJP whether it is with Gandhiji or with Godse? They should clarify this now."
Nath said "If the BJP is with Gandhiji, then it should take strict action against those who glorify Gandhi's killer."
BJPs Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh, Vivek Tankha, also criticised Thakur for her remark.
I hope this news is not true. But, if it is true then its an insult to Indian nationhood.
"A person who assassinated Gandhi ji - the father of the nation, is being called a desh bakht by a LS MP in Parliament. The lady has shamed her party by such a statement," Tankha said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, the state Congress demanded that Thakur's Lok Sabha membership be annulled.
During a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, when DMK member A Raja cited a statement of Godse on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi, Thakur interrupted and said, "You cannot give example of a deshbhakt."