In an interview on Friday, 17 May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed BJP’s Bhopal candidate Pragya Thakur for her remark hailing Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a “deshbhakt”, stating that he would never forgive her.

“She has apologised. That is a different thing. But in my heart, I cannot forgive her,” said the prime minister.

Just a day earlier, Thakur had whipped a political storm by “insulting Bapu” by stating that Godse “was, is and will always be a patriot.” While Thakur apologised for her remarks, it was only after the BJP demanded it.