BJP MP says Godse was patriot, takes U-turn after uproar

Amid reports of Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse being eulogised at a function held in Maharashtra earlier this month, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Thursday said that Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse was a patriot only to retract it later.

Sakshi Maharaj said, "Godse was a nationalist, Gandhi ji also did a lot for nation. but I don't have any detail of what event is being organised."

The MP from Unnao said, "Godse was an aggrieved person. He may have done something by mistake but was no an anti-national. He was a patriot."

However, Sakshi Maharaj retracted his statement saying, "If I have said something by mistake, I take it back, I don't consider Nathuram Godse a patriot."

The Rajya Sabha witnessed uproarious scenes with members from the Congress party lodging strong protest against eulogising of Nathuram Godse at a function held in Maharashtra earlier this month.

Under attack from the opposition members, the government disapproved of any such event hailing Mahatma Gandhi's killer but said no organisation should be defamed.

In October this year, a Malayalam mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had said that Nathuram Godse should have killed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and not Gandhi. "Godse was much better than Nehru -- he pulled the trigger on Gandhiji's chest after a respectful bow. But Nehru stabbed him from behind and greeted him from front," the editorial said.

The Upper House saw two brief adjournments over the issue as Congress members protested holding placards in the aisles and raising slogans, while charging right-wing organisations with lending their support to it.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Husain Dalwai (Congress) said he has written to Maharashtra chief minister over hosting the event attended by some religious leaders and former MLAs.

"Mahatma Gandhi's killer is being eulogised by hosting his 'Shaurya Diwas' in Maharashtra...These people talk of development, but are trying to create a rift in society," he said, accusing the right-wing organisations of indulging in such things, including religious conversions that created tension in society.

Congress members created uproar over the issue and raised slogans while displaying placards of the event, even as Deputy Chairman P J Kurien tried to pacify the agitating members, asking them to take their seats and maintain peace.

"Don't make use of zero hour for this kind of display. This is gross indiscipline... To decide the culpability or otherwise, the courts are there, not me or you," Kurien said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "This is not acceptable. Mahatma Gandhi's killer, whosoever it may be, we are against it... We do not accept any honour of Mahatma Gandhi's killers."

As members continued their protest and the House witnessed acrimonious exchanges between both sides, Kurien adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes just before noon.

But, similar scenes were witnessed when the House met at noon, forcing the Chair to adjourn it again for 15 minutes.

When the House reassembled, Anand Sharma (Congress) said, "It is not acceptable that some one eulogises him. I hope neither the house nor the parliamentary affairs minister will approve of such an action. Let the house speak in one voice and condemn it."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "There is no question of eulogising such a person. We should leave the matter there, but defaming an organisation is not acceptable."

It was after this that normal proceedings resumed.