Now, BJP MLA from MP praises Godse

By Chandrakant Naidu

Bhopal, May 29 (IANS) After all clamour for discipline, the BJP seems to have decided to soft-pedal action against Pragya Thakur over her remarks about Godses patriotism. Even before the issue was put to rest, another Thakur has raised her voice in favour of Godse. The party MLA from Mhow in Indore, Usha Thakur, reiterated at a press conference on Wednesday what Pragya had said nearly two weeks ago. The message is clear: the partys threat to act against the offenders was just eyewash.

"Godse was a patriot, quite concerned about the nation," said Usha Thakur. We need to look at the circumstances prevailing in that period to ascertain what drove him to kill Mahatma Gandhi. The party has obviously decided to look the other way. Usha Thakur had hit the headlines three years ago by calling for a ban on Muslim youth participating in Garba during Navaratri. Like Pragya, the mobike-riding Usha has a penchant to dip words in venom before shooting them.

On May 16 the Pragya had incurred the leadership's wrath by calling Godse a patriot. BJP president Amit Shah had ordered show-cause notices to be served on her and three others, Karnataka's Anant Kumar Hegde and Nalin Kateel and Madhya Pradesh media cell in charge Anil Saumitra who eulogised Godse or demeaned Gandhi. They were asked to explain their conduct in ten days and the matter was referred to a disciplinary committee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone to the extent of saying he would never be able to forgive Pragya.

Modi was shown ignoring Pragya when she greeted him durig a meeting of new members of Lok Sabha. The whole sequence came to nought as Modi decided to forget her offence. There seems to be no further action after BJP suspended Saumitra from the primary membership of the party.

With the election heat on, the matter was referred to the disciplinary committee and the offenders were asked to explain their conduct in ten days. Despite her apology, the party was unhappy with Pragya Thakur. During the heat of the campaigning party president Amit Shah called the remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin "not in line with the party's ideology" and party's disciplinary committee had given them 10 days to explain their comments.

The leaders have apparently not bothered to reply to the notice, nor has the disciplinary committee received any formal communication from the party president.