Pragya Thakur likely to be sacked from BJP for her comment hailing Godse, say sources

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur might be sacked from the party membership over her comments in the Lok Sabha where she hailed Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, according to Zee Media sources.

Taking strict cognizance of her controversial remark, BJP working president JP Nadda on Thursday condemned Thakur's statements and said that the party does not support or endorse her views. "BJP never supports such statements and ideologies, we condemn her remarks," he says, adding that the Bhopal MP has been barred from all key BJP meetings of the ongoing Parliament session. 

Further, the BJP MP has been removed from the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Defence, after her comments in the lower House caused a massive uproar country-wide.

According to sources, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur's case has been forwarded to the BJP disciplinary committee and her suspension from the party is likely. 

The BJP MP  had again referred to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "deshbhakt" (patriot), during a debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, triggering a protest by opposition members.

This is not the first time Pragya Thakur has referred to Godse as a patriot. The BJP leader had courted controversy earlier in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections when she called Godse a “true patriot” during a roadshow in Madhya Pradesh. 

Earlier on Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh the soul of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), adding that she is speaking their heart, a day after she sparked controversy in the Lok Sabha.

Rahul also stated that he doesn't waste his time on what Thakur says. "She is speaking what lies in the heart of the RSS. She is their soul. I do not waste my time on what Pragya Thakur says," said Rahul. After the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on Thursday, party interim president Sonia Gandhi too condemned her comments, "Her (Pragya Thakur) comments are shocking. Our party has said everything that needs to be said on the issue."

During a debate on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, when Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP A Raja was speaking on the Bill, Thakur apparently referred to Godse. 

Raja said that Godse made a statement when the appeal was filed before the appellate court in Mahatma Gandhi assassination case. As he began quoting Godse, Thakur made some remarks which were objected to by the Opposition members including Congress member Gaurav Gogoi.

Speaker Om Birla asked her to take her seat and said objectionable words will not go into the record. He also asked the members not to cause interruptions and not start behaving like the Speaker.