Amit Shah asks Pragya Thakur, Ananthkumar Hegde, Nalin Kateel to explain remarks on Godse in 10 days

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Friday came out strongly against the controversial remarks of his party leaders, Sadvhi Pragya Singh Thakur, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, over Nathuram Godse, saying the BJP has taken serious note of their statements, which are against its ideology.

Stating that these comments were their personal statements and had no link with the party, the party president said that all the three leaders have been asked to explain their remarks within 10 days.

विगत 2 दिनों में श्री अनंतकुमार हेगड़े, साध्वी प्रज्ञा सिंह ठाकुर और श्री नलीन कटील के जो बयान आये हैं वो उनके निजी बयान हैं, उन बयानों से भारतीय जनता पार्टी का कोई संबंध नहीं है।

— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 17, 2019

/>"Statements of Ananthkumar Hegde, Pragya Thakur, and Nalin Kateel are their personal opinion, BJP has nothing to do with it. They have withdrawn their statements&apologized. BJP has taken their statements seriously and sent these statements to the disciplinary committee," Shah said.        

 

In a series of tweets, he said the remarks made by Lok Sabha candidate Thakur, Anantkumar Hegde and Nalin Kateel are against the BJP's ideology, and the party has taken serious note of their statements.        

इन लोगों ने अपने बयान वापिस लिए हैं और माफ़ी भी मांगी है। फिर भी सार्वजनिक जीवन तथा भारतीय जनता पार्टी की गरिमा और विचारधारा के विपरीत इन बयानों को पार्टी ने गंभीरता से लेकर तीनों बयानों को अनुशासन समिति को भेजने का निर्णय किया है।

— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 17, 2019

"They have withdrawn their statements and have also apologised. However, their remarks are against the decorum of public life and the BJP, and also against the party's ideology. Taking serious note of their remarks, the party has decided to send them to the disciplinary committee," Shah said.    

Pragya Thakur had on Thursday said Godse was a "patriot", while on Friday, Hegde tweeted that he was "glad" over the debate on Godse, but later claimed that his account had been hacked.      

"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 said in a tweet, which has since been deleted.    

Kateel, a BJP MP from Karnataka, in a tweet compared Godse with Rajiv Gandhi.

While Pragya Thakur has already tendered an apology saying she respected Mahatma Gandhi as his work for the country cannot be forgotten, the Union Minister claimed that his account was hacked and there was no question of justifying Mahatma Gandhi's killing.