(PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: CPI general secretary D Raja on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah should clarify if they endorse BJP MP Pragya Thakur's remarks referring Mahatma Gandhi 's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "deshbhakt".

When DMK member A Raja cited a statement of Godse in Lok Sabha on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi during a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, Thakur interrupted and said, "You cannot give example of a deshbhakt."

While the opposition members protested the interruption by Thakur, the BJP members persuaded her to sit down. After which, the Speaker said only A Raja's statement will be taken on record.

"This has been her stated position. PM had said he will never forgive and forget when she had said this on an earlier occasion. Amit Shah said that there will be disciplinary action. But she keeps this position on the issue. The PM should answer, Shah should answer. Do they and the BJP endorse this view too," said Raja.

Even during the Lok Sabha election campaign, Thakur had described Godse as a patriot, triggering a huge political storm.

Later, she had apologised for her statement.

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the campaign, had said, "The remarks made about Gandhiji or Nathuram Godse are very bad and very wrong for society.... She has sought an apology but I would never be able to forgive her fully."

