Bhopal: BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in 2008 Malegaon terror blast case, on Thursday stirred a fresh controversy by calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a “patriot”.
“Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a deshbhakt and will be a deshbhakt,” she told reporters while campaigning in Dewas.
She went on to say, “People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in the election”.
Her statement glorifying Godse triggered an outrage forcing the BJP to distance itself from it.
“We have sought an explanation from her as to in what circumstances she made the remarks. The BJP totally disagrees with her statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi cannot be a deshbhakt,” BJP’s state media cell chief Lokendra Parashar said.
BJP spokesman Hitesh Bajpayee, however, said Pragya has already offered apology for the statement.
Forced to apologise after party snapped at her, she said she would “follow the party’s line” and the party’s line was her line.
