Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has strongly condemned BJP leader Sadhvi Pragya Singh’s remark wherein she had described Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, as a patriot. Speaking to reporters in Patna after exercising his franchise, Kumar said that there should be no compromise and sought from the BJP to sack Thakur from the party.
“It is condemnable. What action the party takes is their internal matter. We should not tolerate such a statement,” he told reporters when asked about his party’s stand on Thakur’s remark that triggered a massive controversy just ahead of the last and seventh phase polling.
“This nation is Bapu Rashtra and no compromises will be made on crime, corruption and communalism,” he added.
Thakur had last week stirred a controversy with her remark that Godse was a patriot. “Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election,” she had said while responding to actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan’s statement that independent India’s first terrorist was a Hindu — Nathuram Godse.
Though Thakur later apologised, the opposition attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah and sought from the BJP to clear its stand on Godse.
Reacting to Thakur’s remark, PM Modi in a television interview said that he will “never be able to forgive” Thakur for calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a patriot. He also noted that such statements can’t be tolerated in a civilised society.
“She has apologised. That is a different thing. But in my heart, I cannot forgive her,” he had said.
On Friday, when BJP president Amit Shah was asked about Thakur’s remark, he said that the party has taken her remark seriously and a show cause notice has been issued to her. He also dissociated party from Thakur’s statement. He said that the party will take appropriate action after her reply to the notice.
Pragya Thakur is up against Congress’ two-time Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal parliamentary seat.
