After apology, Pragya Thakur takes 'maun vrat' for remarks on Nathuram Godse

Days after BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur tendered an apology over her “Nathuram Godse is a patriot” remark, the Malegaon blast accused on Monday vowed to observe “maun vrat” or “three days of silence” till the Lok Sabha election results are declared.

Taking to Twitter she said: “After the elections, it is now time for reflection. If my words have hurt national sentiment, then I apologise and to atone for them, I will strictly follow 21 prahar (around three days) of silence.”

चुनावी प्रक्रियाओ के उपरान्त अब समय है चिंतन मनन का,
इस दौरान मेरे शब्दों से समस्त देशभक्तों को यदि ठेस पहुंची है तो मैं क्षमा प्रार्थी हूँ और सार्वजनिक जीवन की मर्यादा के अंतर्गत प्रयश्चित हेतु 21 प्रहर के मौन व कठोर तपस्यारत हो रही हूं।
हरिः ॐ

— Sadhvi Pragya Official (@SadhviPragya_MP) May 20, 2019

Thakur has stirred a huge controversy last week after she called Godse a patriot. “Nathuram Godseji deshbhakt the, hai, aur rahenge… unko aatankwadi kahne wale log swayam ki gireban me jhaank kar dekhe… chunav mein 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),” she had told ANI, during a roadshow in Agar town.

She was replying to a question over actor-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu", a reference to Godse.

Later she was forced to tender an apology. "My sentiment was not to hurt anyone's feelings. If it has hurt anybody's feelings then I apologise. What Gandhi ji has done for the country cannot be forgotten. I respect him a lot," she said in a video statement.

She said she made the comments on the spur of moment to a question linked to "saffron terror" and claimed that the media twisted them.

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Asked about the BJP terming her remarks as her personal views, she agreed and added that she was a disciplined worker of the party. She said her party's line is her line.

Her remarks created a major row with the opposition parties attacking her and the BJP with the NCP saying people can now see the "real face" of the Amit Shah-led party and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakur's statement and asked her to tender a public apology, which she did.

On Friday, Modi condemned the statements made by Thakur, and said that he would never be able to forgive her.

“The statements are very condemnable and it should be criticised. There is no space for such language and thinking in the country. People who make such statements will have to think a 100 times in future. I will never be able to forgive those who made these statements," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a news channel during his campaign on Friday.