Facing severe backlash from the Opposition and her own party seniors, BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Friday apologised for her praise of Nathuram Godse and said that her remarks were twisted to give them a different meaning. BJP then demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi for calling her a terrorist.
Sadhvi Pragya said if her remarks have hurt anyone, she tenders an apology.
Speaking at the Lok Sabha on Friday, Sadhvi Pragya said, "I apologise if my remarks have hurt anyone. But my statements made in Parliament are being distorted to give them a different meaning. I respect Mahatma Gandhi's contribution to the nation."
She added, "A member of the House referred to me as a terrorist. It is an attack on my dignity. No charges against me have been proven in court. It is an attack on me as a woman, a Parliamentarian and a sanyaasi."
Sadhvi Pragya Thakur was referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on Thursday saying, "Terrorist Pragya calls terrorist Godse, a patriot."
The BJP MP also said, "I acknowledge the contributions of Mahatama Gandhi for this nation. A particular party has targeted me and harassed me physically and mentally."
As the Opposition and Congress MPs shouted slogans against Sadhvi Pragya and Nathuram Godse chanting "Down, Down Godse", BJP MP Nishkant Dubey went ahead and demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi and asked the Speaker to bring a Privilege Motion against him.
As the Opposition launched in a major protest in the House, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, "This House doesn't permit to glorify the matter of assassination of Mahatma Gandhi whether in this House or outside. Yesterday the Defence Minister gave the clarification on behalf of the government. The MP has apologised too."
Earlier in the day she met BJP working president JP Nadda and other BJP leaders to offer a clarification on her controversial praise of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated 'Father of the Nation' Mahatma Gandhi.
As the Opposition raised a hue and cry in the Parliament and outside over Sadhvi Pragya's praise of Godse as a patriot BJP and the Centre quickly started to defuse the flames and condemned the remarks.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condemned Sadhvi Pragya's remark and said, "If someone considers Nathuram Godse as a deshbhakt then our party condemns it. Mahatma Gandhi is an idol for us he was our guiding light and will remain so."
The ruling BJP tried to distance itself from its erring MP, dropping her from the parliamentary panel on defence and also barring her from attending its parliamentary party meeting during the ongoing winter session.
Thakur, on the other hand, insisted that her remarks made in the Lok Sabha during the DMK's A Raja's narration of a statement by Godse before a court on why he had killed Gandhi were against an "insult" to revolutionary Udham Singh.