Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday, 17 May, took a swipe at the BJP over its leaders making controversial remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, saying the BJP and the RSS are not "God-ke Lovers" but "God-se Lovers".
The party’s general secretary for East Uttar Pradesh and Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also questioned the PM Modi over his stance on the issue.
In an interview to The Hindustan Times, Priyanka said, “It’s not enough to say that in your heart, you will not forgive them. You are a political leader, you have to state your political position. What is your position on the killer of Mahatma Gandhi”, she said, adding she does not know what Modi thinks about Godse.
The pandora's box opened on Thursday, 16 May, with BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur lauding Godse as a "patriot" and issuing an apology hours later, saying she respected Gandhi and his work for the country cannot be forgotten.
‘Will Never Forgive Her For Godse Remark’: Modi Slams Pragya Thakur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Pragya Thakur for her remark hailing Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a “deshbhakt”, stating that he would never forgive her.
“She has apologised. That is a different thing. But in my heart, I cannot forgive her,” said the prime minister.
As the row over Thakur's remarks escalated, BJP MP from Karnataka Nalin Kumar Kateel compared Godse with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, saying "Godse killed one, Kasab killed 72, Rajiv Gandhi killed 17,000. You judge who is more cruel in this??" Kateel tweeted on Thursday, drawing parallels between Godse, 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab and Rajiv Gandhi.
Union minister Anantkumar Hegde also found himself in the news with a purported tweet justifying Godse's action. However, later the minister claimed his account was hacked.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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