Godse killed Gandhi`s body, people like Pragya killing his soul: Kailash Satyarthi

NEW DELHI: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Saturday slammed BJP's candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Pragya Singh Thakur for her comment that Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse was a "deshbhakt (patriot)". The  65-year-old child rights activist said that Mahatma Gandhi is above power and politics and people like Pragya are killing the soul of India by atacking Gandhi. He urged the BJP to follow 'Rajdharam' and throw Sadhvi Pragya out of the party.

"Godse assassinated Gandhi's body. But people like Pragya are killing his soul along with non-violence, peace and tolerance. Gandhi is above every party and politics. The BJP leadership must leave the desire for small benefits and immediately remove them from the party and follow 'raj dharma' (duty of governance),"Satyarthi tweeted.

Sadhvi Pragya sparked a huge controversy on Thursday after she praised Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse and dubbed him a real "patriot". The BJP leader made the controversial statement while talking to media during an election rally in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP took strong objections to Sadhvi Pragya's remark and she apologised for her statement, saying she respected Gandhi.

"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," Sadhvi Pragya had said. The remarks were made by the BJP leader in reaction to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's comments in which he had said that Godse was the first Hindu terrorist of India.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed deep anguish over Sadhvi Pragya's statement and said that he will never forgive her for calling Godse a 'patriot'. "The remarks made about Gandhiji or Nathuram Godse are very bad and very wrong for society," he said. "She has sought an apology but I would never be able to forgive her fully," PM Modi had said.