Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament on Thursday.
Thakur has been nixed from a parliamentary consultative committee on defense over her remarks on Godse on the floor of the Lok Sabha yesterday. As the opposition mounts a sharp attack on the BJP, the party has also barred the Malegaon blasts accused from attending its parliamentary meetings during the winter session.
“Her statement yesterday in Parliament is condemnable. The BJP never supports such statement or ideology, ”BJP working president JP Nadda said. Shortly after, sources told News 18 that the party is planning further disciplinary action against the motor-mouth MP with suspension from the party not being ruled out.
Thakur had made the remark yesterday in the Lok Sabha after interrupting DMK member A Raja’s narration of a statement by Nathuram Godse before a court on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi. In yet another controversial decision, Speaker Om Birla said only Raja’s speech during the discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill will go on record. Later, the Lok Sabha secretariat issued an official communication that Thakur’s remarks are “non-recorded”.
Raja said that Godse himself admitted that he had nursed a grudge against Gandhi for 32 years before finally deciding to assassinate him. “Godse killed Gandhi because he believed in a particular philosophy,” Raja added. While the opposition members protested the interruption by Thakur, the BJP members persuaded her to sit down.
This is not the first time Thakur has glorified Godse. During the campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Thakur had described Godse as a “true patriot”, triggering a huge political storm . Prime Minister Narendra Modi had then said that he would never forgive Thakur.
With Thakur repeating the statement, the Congress has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the comments, alleging that the PM’s “inaction” against her proves his latent support to “Godse’s sinister thought”.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the prime minister, who celebrated Mahatma Gandhi’s 150 th birth anniversary in a grand manner, is requested to say from the heart what his thoughts are about Godse.
Another Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, referring to Thakur, said “this motormouth” shall ensure the downfall of the BJP. “Whatever the case might be, this is an extremely dangerous sign and has made a complete mockery of the Indian democracy and it’s founding fathers,” he said in a tweet.
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