Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. (File) Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. (File)

Speaking about Pragya Thakur’s remarks on Mahatma Gandhi’s assasin Nathuram Godse, Nobel peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi criticised BJP’s Bhopal candidate and other BJP leaders for calling Godse a patriot. He said people like Pragya Thakur are killing the ‘soul of India’ and called on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to immediately expel them.

On Thursday, Pragya Thakur called Godse a true desh bhakt (patriot) kicking up a massive controversy.

In a tweet in Hindi, Satyarthi said: “Godse murdered Gandhi but people like Pragya are killing his soul, killing non-violence, peace, tolerance and the very soul of India. Gandhi is above power and politics. The BJP leadership should let go off its desire for small benefits and immediately remove them from the party.”

गोडसे ने गांधी के शरीर की हत्या की थी, परंतु प्रज्ञा जैसे लोग उनकी आत्मा की हत्या के साथ, अहिंसा,शांति, सहिष्णुता और भारत की आत्मा की हत्या कर रहे हैं।गांधी हर सत्ता और राजनीति से ऊपर हैं।भाजपा नेतृत्व छोटे से फ़ायदे का मोह छोड़ कर उन्हें तत्काल पार्टी से निकाल कर राजधर्म निभाए। — Kailash Satyarthi (@k_satyarthi) May 18, 2019

Lauding Godse, Thakur had said, “Godse was a patriot, is a patriot, and will remain a patriot. Those who call him a terrorist should look within they will get a reply in this election.”

Read | More from BJP join Pragya on Godse, PM Narendra Modi says won’t forgive her

Thakur’s statement was backed by several BJP leaders, while the Opposition severely criticised her for her remark. Thakur later issued an apology.

Separately, the BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit suspended its media cell head Anil Saumitra from the party’s primary membership for calling Gandhi the “father of nation but of Pakistan”.

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Expressing regret at her comments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ‘it’s a different matter that she has apologised, I will not be able to forgive her from my heart’. BJP president Amit Shah said that the comment was not in line with the party ideology and that a disciplinary committee has sought responses from the three ministers – Pragya Thakur, Nalin Kumar Kateel and Anantkumar Hegde – within 10 days.

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