Godse row: MP Congress wants Pragya Thakur's LS membership annulled

Denouncing BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, Madhya Pradesh Congress on Thursday demanded that her Lok Sabha membership be revoked immediately.

The party alleged that Thakur has disrespected India and Mahatma Gandhi through her remarks.

Thakur created a controversy on Wednesday with her remark in Lok Sabha during DMK member A Raja's narration of a statement by Nathuram Godse before a court on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Amid the row, the BJP on Thursday removed Thakur from the consultative committee on defence.

"We condemn her statement strongly. She has disrespected the nation and Gandhiji. We demand that Pragya's Lok Sabha membership be revoked forthwith," state Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza told reporters here.

"A person who praises Godse after taking oath of the Constitution is not deemed fit to be an MP. Therefore, we request the prime minister to sack her immediately," she said.

Oza said the Congress workers will gherao on Saturday 28 BJP MPs from the state, including Thakur from Bhopal, as they have failed to get adequate funds for development works from the Centre.

"It is unfortunate that these BJP MPs are sticking to their position despite the state not getting its share of central funds," she added.

"We will demand that they should use their rights as MPs or else they have no right to continue as lawmakers," Oza said.

During the Lok Sabha election campaign earlier this year, Thakur had described Godse a patriot, triggering a huge political storm. She had, however, apologised for her statement later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the remarks made about Gandhiji or Nathuram Godse were "very bad" and "very wrong" for the society.

"She has sought an apology but I would never be able to forgive her fully," he had said.

During a roadshow, Thakur had said, "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."

The BJP had distanced itself from the controversial leader's statement and asked her to tender a public apology.

Prior to that, Thakur, a 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case accused, had also made controversial remarks about IPS officer Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. She had said that Karkare had died as she had "cursed" him for torturing her.

Recently, the BJP MP had even blamed "black magic" of opposition parties for the death of senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj.

-PTI

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