On November 21, controversial Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur was elevated to the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on defence, provoking a storm of criticism from various quarters on Thursday. In a bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, it was announced Sadhvi Pragya would be part of the 21-member committee headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. A week later, on Thursday, reports claimed she was axed from the committee, a day after her statements praising Godse in Lok Sabha. BJP Working President J.P. Nadda told ANI, "We have decided that Pragya Singh Thakur will be removed from the consultative committee of defence, and in this session she will not be allowed to participate in the parliamentary party meetings."
BJP Working President J P Nadda to ANI: We have decided that Pragya Singh Thakur will be removed from the consultative committee of defence, and in this session she will not be allowed to participate in the parliamentary party meetings. https://t.co/GnFhC66p7X
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2019
Reacting to the appointment of Pragya, the Congress had noted she was accused of involvement in terror cases and called her a "Godse fanatic". The Congress tweeted, "Pragya Thakur, a terror accused & Godse fanatic has been nominated by the BJP govt. to be a member of the Parliamentary Panel on Defence. This move is an insult to our nation's defence forces, to our nation's esteemed parliamentarians & to every Indian."
On Wednesday, when DMK member A. Raja cited a statement of Godse on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi during a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, Thakur interrupted and said, "You cannot give example of a deshbhakt." Raja said that Godse himself admitted that he had nursed a grudge against Gandhi for 32 years before finally deciding to assassinate him. Godse, Raja said, killed Gandhi because he believed in a particular philosophy.
While the opposition members protested the interruption by Thakur, the BJP members persuaded her to sit down. The speaker said only A. Raja's statement will be taken on record.
After opposition members protested against Thakur's remarks, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said only the DMK leader's speech during the discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill will go on record.
Later, the Lok Sabha secretariat issued a official communication, saying Thakur's remarks are "non-recorded".
"Today, received an invite to a meeting of the National Committee on 19/12 on the observation of the Mahatma's 150 years. A BJP MP in Parliament reiterated how this should be done by hailing Godse. Her views are abominable. Can she remain a BJP MP?" CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted.
"Godse in India and Gandhi to the rest of the world. This forked tongue of the RSS/BJP and its normalisation of terror cannot go on. Godse was a terrorist who murdered Gandhi," he said in another tweet. The government has set up a national committee for commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
CPI general secretary D. Raja said Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should clarify if they endorse her remarks. "This has been her stated position. PM had said he will never forgive and forget when she had said this on an earlier occasion. Amit Shah said that there will be disciplinary action. But she keeps this position on the issue. The PM should answer, Shah should answer. Do they and the BJP endorse this view too," said Raja.
