Owaisi asks Rajnath Singh to book Sadhvi Pragya

Asaduddin Owaisi

New Delhi: AIMIM chief Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to book BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur under the sedition law and the National Security Act for terming Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a "true patriot'.

Hitting out at the Central government, Owaisi citing BJP's promise of strengthening sedition law if voted to power, pressed for action against Thakur.

In a series of tweets, Owaisi wrote, "Rajnath Singh you've promised that sedition law will be strengthened further if you come back to power (God forbid). Is insulting Gandhi and glorifying his murderer sedition? Or is sedition law reserved only for minorities, Adivasis, Dalits & university students?".

"Congress maintaining law and order is still your responsibility in Madhya Pradesh. Since your government has no qualms in applying the National Security Act - would you consider applying it against Pragya? Or is that also reserved for Muslims, Dalits & Adivasis only?," he added.

Earlier in the day, when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu (in reference to Godse), Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

Owaisi also asked the Election Commission to use its power under Article 324 of Constitution to bar Thakur from contesting elections.

"ECI since the recent discovery of your own powers under Article 324 of Constitution, would you use it to bar someone who has called elections a dharam yudh, insulted terror victims & martyrs? She's now glorified Free India's 1st terrorist," he tweeted.

Soon after her controversial statement on 'Godse', the Opposition parties attacked Thakur saying what she said reflected the mindset of the people nurtured in RSS ideology.

However, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao issued a statement saying the party condemns the statement of Thakur and said she should apologize publicly for terming Gandhi's assassin Godse a "true patriot'.

Later, Thakur tendered an apology for her remark stating that she respects Mahatma Gandhi a lot and his sacrifice for the country cannot be forgotten. Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is not new to courting controversies.

After being fielded by the BJP in Bhopal, she had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him. The statement had attracted all-round criticism including from the BJP which disowned it.