BJP’s Working President Jagat Prakash Naddahas announced that Pragya Thakur, a legislator who had referred to Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, as “patriot” on Wednesday during a debate, will be removed from all parliamentary panels.
“We have decided that Pragya Singh Thakur will be removed from the consultative committee of defence, and in this session she will not be allowed to participate in the parliamentary party meetings,” said Nadda.
#WATCH BJP Working President JP Nadda: Pragya Thakur's statement (referring to Nathuram Godse as 'deshbhakt') yesterday in the parliament is condemnable. She will be removed from the consultative committee of defence. pic.twitter.com/hHO9ocihdf
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2019
Thakur's remarks have sparked nationwide outrage and evoked strong protests from opposition parties including the main opposition Congress Party, which has accused the ruling party of spreading “hate politics”. On Thursday, Congress Party lawmakers walked out of the Lok Sabha (the lower house of parliament in protest.
Thakur made a similar comment in the run-up to elections to the Lok Sabha in April-May, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had pulled her up and said, “I will never be able to forgive Pragya Thakur for insulting Mahatma Gandhi.”
Last week, Thakur’s nomination to the powerful parliamentary panel for the Ministry of Defence had kicked up a row in India. She is also an accused of participating in the 2008 blast in Malegaon in western Maharastra, is facing multiple charges, and is currently out on bail due to poor health
The Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on 30 January, 1948 while walking to his prayer meeting in the lawn of Birla House, New Delhi.
