\'Sad day in history\': Rahul calls Pragya Thakur \'terrorist\' over Godse remark

New Delhi: Hitting out at BJP MP Pragya Thakur for her remarks in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called her a "terrorist" and said it was a sad day in the history of India's Parliament.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pragya Thakur and called her "an enemy of Gandhi and a supporter of his killers," for her recent expunged remarks in Parliament on Nathuram Godse.

Owasi said he has also given a notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thakur's controversial remark.

"It is not the first time she said something like that. It shows she's an enemy of Gandhi and a supporter of his killers. I have given Privilege Motion to Speaker, let's see what happens...," he said while speaking to media persons here.

The AIMIM chief also tweeted about the same and said, "I have given a Notice of Question of Privilege under 223& 224 Rules of Procedure & Conduct of LS in relation to the incident where MP from Bhopal interrupted MP A Raja speech by calling Nathuram Godse a patriot (deshbhakt) Will @PMOIndia take action or another Notice?."

Amid opposition protests over BJP MP Pragya Thakur's comments on Nathuram Godse, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said in Lok Sabha that his party condemns any philosophy which describes Mahatma Gandhi's killer as a patriot.

Singh also said that Gandhi's philosophy was, is and will remain relevant and described him as a guide (margdarshak) for the nation. Not satisfied with his response, the opposition led by the Congress staged a walkout.

As soon as the House met to take up the day's business, opposition members stood up and strongly protested the remarks made by Thakur on Wednesday on Godse during the debate on the Special Protection Group (Amendment Bill).

Congress leader in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Thakur has called Godse a patriot and the Congress a terrorist party. "Thousands of members of the Congress have laid down their lives while serving the nation. How can she dare to say such things that too inside the House. We demand action," he said.

The Congress leader accused the BJP of doing politics in the name of Gandhi and appropriating his and Nehru's legacy. Chowdhury said it was because of the BJP's ideology that Thakur could make such comments.

Later in the day, Congress MPs staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha amid uproar over BJP MP Pragya Thakur's now expunged remarks.

While speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Lok Sabha, said: "Congress was called a terrorist party (by BJP MP Pragya Thakur), the party from which thousands of leaders made sacrifices for the freedom of the nation. What's happening? Will the House stay silent on this? Mahatma Gandhi's killer was called 'deshbhakt'."

To this, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reverted, "What she (BJP MP Pragya Thakur) said has been expunged from the record. How can there be a debate if it is not on record? "

Earlier in the day, Rahul said that Thakur's now expunged remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin reflect the "heart of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and BJP" and that he does not want to "waste time" by demanding action against her.

"What she is saying -- that is the heart of the RSS and BJP. It cannot be hidden. I do not need to waste my time demanding action against that woman," Gandhi told media persons.

Rahul Gandhi further said that no matter how much the BJP worships Mahatma Gandhi; their real sentiments are bound to come out in some way or the other. "Nothing can be hidden," he added.

Earlier this year, Thakur had described Godse as a 'patriot' following which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear that such statements would "not be tolerated by the party".

Thakur created a controversy on Wednesday with her remark in the Lower House of Parliament during DMK member A Raja's narration of a statement by Nathuram Godse before a court on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi.

(With inputs from agencies)

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