'If Godse is a Patriot, Does That Make Mahatma Gandhi Anti-national': Oppn Hits Out at Thakur

New Delhi: BJP’s Bhopal candidate and terror accused Pragya Thakur has come under fire once again, this time for terming Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a patriot.

“Nathuram Godse was a patriot, is a patriot, and will always remain one,” she said in response to Makkal Needhi Maaiam founder Kamal Haasan’s earlier comment in which he had called Godse “the first terrorist of free India”.

Several political leaders, including her main contender in the constituency – Congress’s Digvijaya Singh, hit out at Thakur and demanded that she tender an apologise. Singh went one step further, demanding an apology from Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit.

“I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition,” he said.

In a press conference on Thursday, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala described this a part of BJP's conspiracy to scorn and insult the principles laid down by Mahatma Gandhi.

National Conference’s Omar Abdullah also slammed the comment saying, “If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?"

The NCP also attacked the BJP over Thakur's Godse was a "patriot" remark, saying people can now see the "real face" of the Amit Shah-led party. "Nathuram Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by BJP's candidate Pragya Thakur and is being called a patriot. People can now see @BJP4India 's real face through.@SadhviPragya_MP," Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil said on Twitter.

The criticism wasn’t just kept to the rival camps as former Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narasimha Rao also condemned the statement and said, “The party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement.”

KT Rama Rao, working president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, said irrespective of her political affiliation, Thakur should tender an apology for insulting Gandhi. “She should speak within the framework of our Constitution and refrain from making such derogatory remarks,” Rao said.