BJP suspends spokesperson Anil Saumitra for calling Mahatma Gandhi 'Father of Pakistan'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday suspended party spokesperson Anil Saumitra from the party's primary membership for his comment on Mahatma Gandhi.  "Pakistan was born with the blessings of Bapu, therefore Mahatma Gandhi can be the father of Pakistan but not of India," Saumitra had said in a Facebook post. 

According to reports, the BJP has absolved him of all party positions for his comment. 

Saumitra, who is the head of BJP’s media cell of Madhya Pradesh, has also been asked to submit a reply within seven days over his Facebook post by the party’s state chief Rakesh Singh.

After action on him by the BJP, Saumitra claimed, "The concept of Pakistan was prepared by Britishers and its promulgators were Nehru (first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru) and Jinnah (Mohammed Ali Jinnah), who were in a hurry to become prime ministers. This process was blessed by Mahatma Gandhi."    

Justifying his stand, he added, "Since Pakistan was carved out due to the silent blessings of Mahatma Gandhi, so he could be Rashtrapita of Pakistan."    

"India was a nation since sanatan period, several saints and sages were its sons. So, this nation could have sons and not a father. Father of nation is an European concept, Gandhi could be a good son but, in known history, there is no father of nation in India," Saumitra claimed.