PM Narendra Modi in an interview to New24 India, strongly condemned Sadhvi Pragya Thakur for her “Godse a patriot” remark, which has stirred a massive furore in the political circle.
In extremely heavy words Modi said that however apologetic the person might be, he would never forgive anyone who dares to insult Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi).
https://twitter.com/news24tvchannel/status/1129316720538148867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Sadhvi Pragya kicked off a political storm on Thursday, calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a ‘Deshbhakt’ (Nationalist).
Later in the day, Pragya’s spokesperson and BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai claimed that Thakur had apologised and retracted her statement. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao also condemned Thakur’s statement and said the party did not agree with her remark. Rao asked the BJP candidate from Bhopal to apologise publicly for the comment.
https://twitter.com/BJP4India/status/1129029927053881345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The BJP president Amit Shah has also come out in defence of his party claiming that the tendentious remarks made by its leaders were their personal opinions and they do not reflect the party’s stand on the matter.
The BJP president Amit Shah has also said that the concerned leader has taken her statement back and apologized for the same. Shah further added that the party has taken her remarks seriously and has sent it to the disciplinary committee to seek an explanation for the controversial remarks. The committee will submit the report to the party within 10 days.
However, Pragya Thakur later said that she agrees with the party line. “If I have hurt anyone I do apologise,” said Pragya Thakur agreeing that her statement was ‘absolutely wrong’. She clarified that she had great respect for Mahatma Gandhi.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1129027825099517954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Pragya Thakur had made the controversial statement while responding to actor-turned-politician, Kamal Haasan’ remark terming Godse as ‘independent India’s first terrorist who was a Hindu’. The President of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party who is a new entrant to the political fray in India, at an election rally in Aravakurichi assembly constituency had termed Godse as independent India’s first terrorist, stirring a fresh controversy. “Independent India’s first terrorist was a Hindu. His name was Nathuram Godse. I’m not saying this because this is a locality with a sizeable Muslim population. I’m saying this in front of a Gandhi statue,” he had said.