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BJP asks three leaders to explain remarks backing Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Godse

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Amit Shah

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As comments from its leaders praising Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse invited widespread condemnation, with only two days left for final phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election, the BJP today (Friday, May 17) tried to control damage.

BJP president Amit Shah, in a series of tweets, said Pragya Singh Thakur, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde and Nalin Kumar Kateel, all contesting the election, have been asked for an explanation within 10 days.

“These comments have nothing to do with the party. All three have apologized, but these comments are against the ideology of the BJP and are being referred to the disciplinary committee,” Shah tweeted.

Pragya Singh Thakur, the BJP candidate from Bhopal, had yesterday decribed Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, as a “deshbhakt (patriot)”.

Today, Karnataka parliamentarian, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde jumped into the ongoing controversy on Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, saying after seven decades he would be happy with the debate.

While the Opposition called out Pragya Singh Thakur for calling Nathuram Godse a patriot, Anant Kumar Hegde said, “Time to assert and move away from being apologetic! If not now … When?”

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi kept mum when PM Modi was called ‘Neech’: Amit Shah

Hedge said that the time has changed and it gives good scope for the condemned to be heard upon. “Am glad that 7 decades later today’s generation debates in a changed perceptional environment and gives good scope for the condemned to be heard upon. #NathuramGodse would have finally felt happy with this debate!” Hegde tweeted.

BJP MP from Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada constituency Nalinkumar Kateel said that Godse only killed one man but former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi killed 17,000 people – a reference to 1984 anti-Sikh riots after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

“Godse killed one, Kasab killed 72, Rajiv Gandhi killed 17,000. You judge who is crueler in this??” Nalin Kateel tweeted.

Rajiv Gandhi was named in the same breath as 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab, who was executed in 2012 for his role in one of the worst terror attacks in India.

The BJP has repeatedly raised Rajiv Gandhi, the father of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, while targeting the opposition party over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots following Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. Nearly 3,000 were killed in the three-day carnage.

Kateel, a two-time BJP parliamentarian, is contesting the election again from Dakshina Kannada.

Both the tweets have vanished from their Twitter timelines. Anant Kumar Hegde put out a message claiming his account had been breached.

He deleted the tweet and posted: “My Twitter account has been breached twice in the past one week and certain tweets have been posted on my timeline which has been discarded and deleted. Regret the posts attributed to me.”

On Thursday, Pragya Thakur said: “Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a ‘deshbhakt’ and will remain a ‘deshbhakt’. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a fitting reply in the election.”

Despite her party disowning the comment, Pragya Thakur remained defiant and stopped short of an apology twice. “The party’s line is my line,” she said at first. Then she said the comment was her personal view and expressed regret for hurting sentiment.

She finally apologised on Twitter late last night. “I apologise to the people of the country for my statements on Nathuram Godse. My statement was absolutely wrong. I have huge respect for the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi,” she tweeted in Hindi.

Pragya Thakur made the remark in response to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s comment, dubbing Godse as “Independent India’s first Hindu terrorist.”

The Congress expressed dissatisfaction at BJP distancing itself from the comments and issuing a statement condemning them and sought an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, just as the BJP had demanded Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s apology for Sam Pitroda’s ‘hua to hua’ remark about 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Also Read: The most polarised election: the element of Hindutva, the fight for India

In a TV debate, the BJP representative ruled it out, saying Pragya Thakur was a very junior functionary and the PM could not be asked to respond over her misdemeanours.

Both PM Modi and BO chief Amit Shah had, however, backed Pragya and defended fielding her for Lok Sabha election from Bhopal.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday dared the BJP’s “nationalistic luminaries” to spell out their stand on their Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a patriot and said merely distancing from her is not enough.

“Bapu’s assassin a patriot? Hey Ram. Distancing yourself from your candidate is not enough. Nationalistic luminaries of the BJP have the guts to spell out your stand,” Priyanka tweeted.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Ajit Pawar’s son seeks detailed probe into Baramati plane crash

Jay Pawar has demanded a comprehensive probe and action against the aviation firm after the Baramati plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar and four others.

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Jay Pawar, the younger son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the plane crash near Baramati that claimed his father’s life along with four others on January 28.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Jay Pawar raised concerns over what he described as “possible serious lapses” that may have led to the fatal accident. He asserted that the aircraft’s black box is not easily destroyed and stressed that people of Maharashtra deserve to know the complete truth behind the crash.

Demand for action against aviation company

The ill-fated Learjet 45XR aircraft was operated by VSR Ventures Private Limited. Jay Pawar urged authorities to conduct a detailed probe into the firm’s operations and sought a ban on the aviation company pending investigation.

“A detailed investigation of possible serious lapses and irregularities of the aircraft firm should be done in a detailed and impartial manner,” he said.

The crash occurred near the Baramati airstrip, resulting in the deaths of Ajit Pawar and four others.

Call for CBI probe and sabotage allegations

Jay Pawar’s statement came a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

Separately, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged there was reason to suspect sabotage in the crash and called for a multi-agency investigation involving experts.

During a press conference last week, Rohit Pawar also questioned the past record of Captain Sumit Kapoor, who was piloting the aircraft on the day of the crash. He referred to the pilot’s previous three-year suspension for alcohol consumption.

AAIB seeking support to retrieve CVR data

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting a detailed probe into the crash. According to the agency, special technical assistance has been sought to retrieve data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 45 aircraft involved in the accident.

The investigation is ongoing.

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PM Modi sends congratulatory letter to Tarique Rahman after swearing-in

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla handed over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman following his swearing-in and extended an invitation to visit India.

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Tarique Rehman

Om Birla on Tuesday met Tarique Rahman and delivered a letter from Narendra Modi, congratulating him on assuming office and inviting him to visit India.

The meeting took place shortly after Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister following his party’s victory in the recently concluded parliamentary elections.

According to details shared, Birla also spoke to Rahman over the phone to personally convey PM Modi’s congratulations.

In his letter, PM Modi extended his greetings to Rahman on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s win in the parliamentary elections and on his appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

“I extend my warmest congratulations to you on the victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party at the just-concluded parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and on your appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh,” the letter read.

The communication also included an invitation for the newly sworn-in leader to visit India.

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Navjot Kaur Sidhu says Rahul Gandhi disconnected from ground realities

Navjot Kaur Sidhu criticises Rahul Gandhi after exiting Congress, alleging corruption in the Punjab unit and predicting defeat in upcoming state elections.

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Rahul-Gandhi

Former Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu has launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi soon after her exit from the party, accusing him of being detached from ground realities and failing to address concerns within the Punjab unit.

Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Sidhu said that Gandhi, who serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has not worked at the grassroots level and is unaware of what is happening within the party in Punjab. She stressed that understanding “ground zero” realities is crucial for leadership and said living in a “dream world” would not help the party.

Drawing a comparison with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sidhu said that while Gandhi speaks well and “talks sense”, his actions do not align with his words. She claimed there is nothing personally against the Prime Minister and challenged critics to find evidence of wrongdoing against him.

Sidhu also alleged widespread corruption within the Punjab Congress leadership. She claimed she sought an appointment with Gandhi for eight months to inform him about what she described as “injustice” and internal damage to the party. According to her, party tickets had already been sold, and she warned that Congress is likely to lose the state polls next year if corrective measures are not taken.

In a direct message to Gandhi, she said that if he is unaware of developments within his own party, then he does not deserve the leadership position. She further alleged that corrupt individuals surround him while honest leaders are ignored.

Sidhu claimed that she and her family were promised key roles, including a deputy chief minister post with seven departments and a Member of Parliament position for her, but were ultimately given nothing.

Last week, Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, announced that Sidhu had been expelled from the party. The announcement followed her own declaration that she had quit.

The 62-year-old leader was earlier associated with the BJP and served as an MLA from 2012 to 2016 before joining Congress. Recently, she levelled serious allegations against Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, claiming that ₹500 crore was being demanded in exchange for the Chief Minister’s post if the party wins the upcoming elections. She was suspended after making those remarks.

With Punjab heading towards elections next year, her allegations add to the turbulence within the state unit of the Congress.

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