The Opposition on Thursday launched a scathing attack on BJP MP Pragya Thakur for her remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse with the Congress set to move a censure motion against her in Lok Sabha.
Her remarks rocked the Lok Sabha, as opposition members stood up and raised strong protests immediately after the House met.
Led by the Congress, they created uproar and later staged a walkout from the house, expressing dissatisfaction over Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement condemning the remarks.
Amid opposition protests, Singh said that Gandhi's philosophy was, is and will remain relevant and described him as a guide (margdarshak) for the nation.
"Far from talking about Nathuram Godse being called a patriot, we condemn the idea of treating him as a patriot. His (Gandhi's) philosophy was, is and will remain relevant and he is as a guide (margdarshak) for the nation," he said.
Not satisfied with Singh's response, the opposition led by the Congress staged a walkout.
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed her a "terrorist" and said this reflected the "heart and soul" of the BJP and RSS and this cannot be hidden.
"What Pragya Thakur is saying is the heart of the BJP and the RSS. That is the centre of the BJP, that is the heart of the RSS. This cannot be hidden. It is their soul and it will come out somehow. No matter how much that they worship Gandhiji, this is their soul," he told reporters in the Parliament premises.
The 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 in the ongoing winter session.
The party, however, condemned Thakur's remarks in Parliament on Wednesday referring to Godse and said it does not support such statements.
BJP working president JP Nadda also recommended Thakur's removal from the consultative committee on defence, to which she was recently appointed.
"We have decided that Thakur will not attend meetings of BJP parliamentary party during the session," he said.
"We are very clear about it that we condemn her statement and we do not support this ideology," he said.
"We are very clear about it that we condemn her statement and we do not support this ideology," Nadda, who was accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, said.
Thakur, on the other hand, insisted on Thursday that her remarks in Lok Sabha made during DMK member A Raja's narration of a statement by Godse before a court on why he killed Gandhi were against the "insult" to revolutionary Udham Singh.
She took to Twitter to defend her comments, saying, "Storm of lies becomes so big at times that even day appears to be night but the Sun does not lose its light. People should not be swayed by this storm. Truth is that I did not tolerate insult to Udham Singh yesterday."
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