‘Terrorist Pragya calls terrorist Godse a patriot’: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress leader’s comments came after his party members staged a walk-out as Speaker Om Birla did not allow a debate on Pragya’s expunged comments.

Without naming Pragya, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the BJP condemns “any philosophy which describes Nathuram Godse as patriot”.

“We condemn any philosophy which describes Nathuram Godse as patriot. Mahatma Gandhi and his teachings have inspired us and will continue to do. People across the political spectrum consider him as an idol,” he said.

Terrorist Pragya calls terrorist Godse, a patriot.

A sad day, in the history of
India’s Parliament.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 28, 2019

Before the Parliament session began today, BJP working president J P Nadda condemned Pragya’s remarks and recommended her removal from the Parliament defence committee. He said Pragya is also barred from attending the BJP Parliamentary Party meetings this winter session. Later in the day, Pragya claimed she made the remark defending Uddham Singh, a revolutionary leader who assassinated the former lieutenant governor of the Punjab in 1940, and not Nathuram Godse.

कभी-2 झूठ का बबण्डर इतना गहरा होता है कि दिन मे भी रात लगने लगती है किन्तु सूर्य अपना प्रकाश नहीं खोता पलभर के बबण्डर मे लोग भ्रमित न हों सूर्य का प्रकाश स्थाई है। सत्य यही है कि कल मैने ऊधम सिंह जी का अपमान नहीं सहा बस।

— Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (@sadhvipragyag) November 28, 2019

In Lok Sabha Wednesday, when DMK member A Raja, participating in a debate on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, was citing Godse’s statement on why he killed the Mahatma, Thakur interrupted and made a remark praising Godse.

As the angry Opposition sought an apology from Thakur and BJP members were seen persuading her to sit down, Speaker Om Birla said her remark will not go into the records of the House proceedings. In a communiqué later, the Lok Sabha secretariat said the remark had been expunged from the records.

It can be recalled that during the final days of the Lok Sabha election campaign, Pragya, then the BJP’s Bhopal candidate, described Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a “deshbhakt” (patriot), triggering a political firestorm which had even Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he would “never be able to forgive her fully”.

The BJP had sent Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, and two other leaders — Nalin Kumar Kateel, currently president of Karnataka BJP and former minister Anantkumar Hegde — showcause notices over their remarks on Godse. At a press conference, which he addressed along with the Prime Minister, BJP president Amit Shah had promised appropriate action against them. No disciplinary action has been taken so far — at least, the party has not made it public.