Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur comments glorifying Mahatma Gandhi's assassin as "depressing" and "disgusting".
On Thursday, 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'."
Naidu took to Twitter to slam the Prime Minister and BJP and wrote, "It's depressing and disgusting to hear that those who killed the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi are being hailed as great Patriots by BJP candidates. This speaks a lot about the nature of patriotism of not only BJP candidates but also Narendra Modi, who supports such people."
In another tweet, Naidu added, "First, they abused Maharashtra Police Officer Sri Hemant Karkare who was martyred, now it's the turn of the father of the nation, an apostle of non-violence and the torchbearer of world peace, Mahatma Gandhi. Is this the Gujarat model that BJP wants to spread in the entire nation?"
Soon after Thakur's 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'.
After being fielded by the BJP in Bhopal, Thakur 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.