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Terror-accused BJP candidate Pragya Thakur calls Nathuram Godse a patriot

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Terror-accused BJP candidate Pragya Thakur calls Nathuram Godse a patriot

BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Pragya Thakur, who is being tried in Malegaon blast case, has described Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a “patriot” and said those calling him a “terrorist” will be given a befitting reply when the election results are announced.

“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 befitting reply in these elections,” Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, said today (Thursday, May 16).

The statement created a furore with Congress slamming Thakur and BJP, after which the BJP also distanced itself from her statement and said she should publicly apologise for her statement. “BJP does not agree with this statement, we condemn it. Party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement,” BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.

Pragya Thakur’s statement is in line with her hardline Hindutva mindset. She had earlier claimed that ATS chief Hemant Karkare died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had “cursed” him for “torturing” her in custody for Malegaon blast case. She is currently facing trial under stringent sections of The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a Mumbai court, and is out on bail.

Also Read: Bofors case: CBI does a u-turn, withdraws plea for further investigation

She also invited trouble when she said that she herself had climbed on top of the Babri Masjid to demolish the mosque and was very proud of it.

Pragya was reacting to MakkalNeedhiMaiyam(MNM) founder Kamal Haasanstatement that “free India’s first extremist was a Hindu” while referring to Godse.

Asked about Kamal Haasan‘s comment on Hindu terror and Godse, Sadhvi Pragya said, “Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections.”

Haasan, while addressing a rally in bypoll-bound Aravakurichi on Sunday, had said:  “I am not saying this because this is Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India’s first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. It started from there. He killed Mahatma Gandhi. I am questioning this as the great grandson of Gandhi.There it (extremism, apparently) starts.”

Also Read: PM Modi promises grand statue of Vidyasagar after his bust vandalised & EC curtailed Bengal poll campaign

His remarks drew scathing criticism from the BJP and Hindu outfits who twisted his statement to say Haasan had talked about Hindu terrorism and insulted the community.

Kamal Haasan’s remark stirred a massive controversy with the BJP lodging a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against the remark. A criminal complaint was also lodged against Haasan.

Haasan later issued a clarification and said he was misquoted and he never said the word “terrorist”. Kamal Haasan has filed an anticipatory bail petition, seeking quashing of the FIR against him.

Haasan had yesterday defended himself by saying he had only spoken about what was a “historic truth”. “Understand the meaning for the word extremist. I could have used the word terrorist or murderer (against Godse)… ours is active politics, there won’t be any violence,” he had said, alleging that his speech was edited selectively.

The anger against the purported meaning of his statement was kept alive, though. Yesterday, slippers were thrown at the actor-turned-politician when he was campaigning in Tirupparankundram assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai.

Eleven people, including BJP workers and members of another outfit, Hanuman Sena, have been named in the police complaint. They threw the slippers towards the stage when Haasan was addressing the crowd. The slippers did not hit Haasan and fell on the crowd, said police.

Soon after Haasan’s speech, Tamil Nadu BJP chief TamilisaiSoundararajan tweeted in Tamil:“We strongly condemn Kamal Haasan for talking about Hindu extremism in his poll campaign. He is triggering communal violence in a place where there are a lot of minorities. The Election Commission must take stringent action against Kamal Haasan for this speech.”

Also Read: Kamal Haasan booked for Godse remark, his party says comment taken out of context

Tamil Nadu Minister KT RajenthraBhalaji also reacted to the comment on Monday and said Kamal Haasan’s “tongue should be cut off”. “Extremism has no religion, neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian,” he said. The MNM demanded that he should be sacked for such a comment.

A police complaint was also filed against the actor-politician on Tuesday in Aravakurichi over his comments.

On Wednesday, Haasan said he stood by his remarks and he had only “stated facts” in his speech. ‘What I said is a historic fact. It’s quoted out of context. How can I target a religion? I challenge you to show one instance of me inciting discord,” he said. He also filed a petition for anticipatory bail in the Madras High Court saying his speech was about Nathuram Godse only and not about the Hindu community as a whole. The Madras High Court will hear the petition today.

Earlier in the day, his party had issued a statement saying his comments were “taken out of context”. “This (his remark) has been taken absolutely out of context and the speech has been painted as anti-Hindu, with a malafide intent. This has created complete confusion and utmost anxiety amongst many common citizens who are not privy to this larger conspiracy,” the statement read.

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BJP says it stands for credibility of promises under PM Modi, Congress for crisis

Trivedi mockingly questioned whether Kharge was truthful in his statements made the previous day, implying that his critiques of the BJP were a reaction driven by pressure to reconcile his earlier remarks.

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The BJP said on Saturday that it stood for the credibility of promises made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, while labeling the Congress party as one suffering from a crisis of credibility, intensifying their ongoing rhetorical conflict over unfulfilled electoral pledges.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the ruling party has expanded its welfare initiatives, including health insurance, free food grains, and cash transfers to farmers, emphasising a strategy focused on wealth creation followed by equitable distribution as the Indian economy has grown over the last decade.

“We believe in the creation of wealth and its distribution. The Congress fosters corruption and depletes wealth,” he stated, referencing numerous unfulfilled promises made by Congress-led governments across various states.

Following Mallikarjun Kharge’s remark labeling “Modi ki guarantee” as a cruel joke after Modi seized Kharge’s guidance on budgetary constraints in state poll announcements, the BJP launched new accusations.

Trivedi mockingly questioned whether Kharge was truthful in his statements made the previous day, implying that his critiques of the BJP were a reaction driven by pressure to reconcile his earlier remarks.

Trivedi highlighted several accomplishments of the Modi government, including the construction of the Ram temple, the abrogation of Article 370, the building of over 14 crore homes for the impoverished, the establishment of more than 51 crore Jan Dhan accounts, and a firm stance against terrorism from Pakistan, to demonstrate the government’s fulfillment of its commitments.

He noted that Kharge, having witnessed notable leaders like PV Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee manage economic challenges effectively, is now observing the Congress party struggling under the influence of urban Naxals due to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing Kharge’s criticisms on various issues, Trivedi pointed to data from the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) indicating a rise in account holders from 11 crore to 25 crore over the past decade.

He also referenced significant infrastructure projects, such as the construction of homes for the poor, 74 new airports, and an impressive pace of 37 kilometers of road built per day, claiming that these initiatives have created substantial employment opportunities.

“India is now ranked third in auto manufacturing and second in mobile phone manufacturing; if anyone is unable to recognize the country’s progress, there is a profound deficiency in their perspective,” asserted the BJP spokesperson.

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Maharashtra elections: Congress says Mahayuti understands its exit is certain

Congress leader Sachin Pilot, also an observer of the Congress party for the Maharashtra elections, said that the ruling Mahayuti alliance is aware that its exit is imminent.      

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The Congress on Wednesday asserted the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has understood that its exit is certain as the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance is strong and that all its candidates are in a strong position for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot, also an observer of the Congress party for the Maharashtra elections, said that the ruling Mahayuti alliance is aware that its exit is imminent.      

The Congress leader stated that the party is fully prepared and that its ally parties in Maharashtra are strong. He mentioned that the seat-sharing negotiations occurred in a positive atmosphere and that the ruling party has recognized that their exit is inevitable.

“All the candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are in a strong position. The people here have decided to support Congress and its allies in the upcoming Assembly elections,” he said.

He also noted that the alliance’s performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections was impressive. “Wherever Congress contested, our candidates won 80 percent of the seats. We expect this trend to continue,” he added.

Pilot acknowledged that there have been some differences among party members regarding specific seats but assured that those issues would be resolved in the next 2-3 days, ensuring there would be only one candidate from the MVA for each seat.

Earlier in the day, Ramesh Chennithala, Congress in charge of Maharashtra, slammed the BJP, claiming that the party is undermining its alliances in the state.

“The BJP is dismantling its alliances. They are forcefully converting alliance partner candidates into their own party candidates. The people will respond to this,” he stated while speaking to reporters.

Earlier on October 26, Chennithala alleged that crores of rupees have been reportedly offered to two of its MLAs to join Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, ahead of state Assembly elections.

Chennithala made those allegations while speaking to reporters in the national capital. He also questioned the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Voting for all 288 constituencies for the Maharashtra Assembly elections are set for November 20 and counting on November 23. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.

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Rahul Gandhi not upset, Opposition spreading fake news: NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh

“Opposition parties are spreading false information. It is not true that Rahul Gandhi is upset with leaders in the State,” he said.

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Asserting that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not upset with the Maharashtra unit, NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Saturday accused the Mahayuti of spreading fake news over the issue of seat-sharing in the state.

Deshmukh mentioned that meetings between leaders of Congress in Maharashtra, including Balasaheb Thorat, Nana Patole, and Vijay Wadettiwar, and representatives of NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), went well.

“Rahul Gandhi is not upset. Leaders like Balasaheb Thorat, Nana Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar all had meetings with leaders of NCP-SCP and Shiv Sena (UBT). We had taken the decision regarding seat sharing based on merit,” the NCP(SP) leader said.

He further clarified that the decision on seat sharing was made based on merit, countering the false information being spread by Opposition parties. Deshmukh also dispelled the notion that Rahul Gandhi was upset with the state leaders.

“Opposition parties are spreading false information. It is not true that Rahul Gandhi is upset with leaders in the State,” he said.

Furthermore, in preparation for the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Congress released its second list of 23 candidates on Saturday.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has concluded talks on sharing seats in 255 constituencies, with each party planning to contest 85 Assembly constituencies, as informed by Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole.

On the same day, the BJP released a list of 40 star campaigners, including prominent party leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The other leaders from the saffron party — Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sarma, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Pramod Sawant were in the list.

The list also includes names of prominent leaders from the State — Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Vinod Tawde, Narayan Rane, Pankaja Munde, Chandrakant (Dada) Patil, Girish Mahajan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Ashish Shelar, Udayan Raje Bhonsle, Raosaheb Danve Patil, Ashok Chavan, Sudhir Mugantiwar, Navneet Rana, among others.

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