BH-NITISH-PRAGYA

Nitish condemns Pragya Thakur's remark on Godse, favours her
expulsion from BJP
    Patna, May 19 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
on Sunday strongly condemned BJP's Bhopal candidate Pragya
Singh Thakur's controversial remark describing assassin of
Mahatama Gandhi, Nathuram Godse as "patriot' and said BJP
should consider expelling her from the party.
    Kumar, president of BJP's strong ally JD(U), made it
clear that his party would not tolerate such things.
    "This is highly condemnable. We will not tolerate all
these things (Thakur's statement terming Godse as patriot).
Bapu is the father of the nation and people will not like if
anyone talks about Godse in this manner, " Kumar said.
    Kumar was talking to reporters after casting his vote
at a polling station located at a government school near Raj
Bhavan here. It falls under Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat, where
Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha is locked in an intense
contest with Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad.
    In reply to a query whether the BJP should expel her
from the party, Kumar said that "it must be considered."
    He, however, was quick to add that though "it is an
internal matter of the BJP, but so far as country or ideology
is concerned, there is no question of tolerating such things."
    Kumar said that he has categorically stated that it is
completely in the domain of party to give reaction or take
action against the person who made such remarks.
    In reply to a query, Kumar said that he has never
compromised over 3Cs-- "crime, corruption and communalism".
    Pragya Thakur kicked a row by describing Godse as
'deshbhakt'. She, however, apologised over the controversial
remark after being pulled up by her party.
    During a roadshow in MP, Thakur had said that
"Nathuram Godseji deshbhakt the, hain, air rahenge, unko
aatankwadi kahne wale log swayam ki gireban me jhank kar dekhe
chunav main aise logon ko jawab de diya jayega (Nathuram 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)
    It may be noted that Prime Ministet Narendra Modi on
May 17 had said that he will never forgive BJP candidate
Pragya Thakur for insulting Mahatma Gandhi by calling his
assassin Nathuram Godse a "true patriot".
    Modi, who had told a TV channel during his last rally
at Khargone in Madhya Pradesh on May 17, said that "the
remarks made about Gandhiji or Nathuram Godse are very bad and
very wrong for society.
    "She has sought an apology but I would never be able
to forgive her fully."
    BJP president Amit Shah had also condemned the remarks
and said that remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin by three
leaders - Thakur, Union minister Anantkumar Hegde and
Karnataka MP Nalin Kumar - were not in line with the party's
ideology.
    Shah had said that party's disciplinary committee has
sought an explanation from them in 10 days. PTI AR SNS
RG RG