After recent controversy over Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse, BJP spokesperson from Madhya Pradesh kicked up another row with his social media post on the great personality.
The leader Anil Saumitra has been suspended from the BJP while the party also served a notice to Pragya Thakur over her remarks.
“He (Gandhiji) was the Father of the nation, but of Pakistan, there were millions of sons like him in India some worthy and some worthless,” posted BJP spokesperson Anil Saumitra on his Facebook timeline.
While talking to media persons, Saumitra claimed those were his personal views and also identified himself as a follower of Gandhian thoughts adding he extensively reads Gandhi and his ideology.
He objected to the term ‘Rashtrpita’ saying after the Independence, the term was simply translated into Hindi from Father of Nation to Rashtrapita by some conspirators. This term was later established in discourse and discussions.
Not offering a candid reply, Saumitra even claimed India was an ancient country and was a rashtra long ago and the concept of Rashtra is found in Vedic scriptures as well. Even the seers proudly called them sons of this soil.
He further added the great personalities of the nation also were eligible to be called suputra (good son) of the country.
On being asked him saying that he (Mahatma Gandhi) was Rashtrapita of Pakistan, Saumitra went on to claim that Pakistan was born out of a conspiracy from the Birtish and mutual confrontation of both Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru who both wanted to become Prime Minister. As only one of them could become the PM, they bifurcated the nation.
Asked whether he did not agree to Rashtrapita address tagged to Mahatma Gandhi, Saumitra went on to claim its ‘them who follow and implement Gandhian ideology.’ Gandhi preached us about swachhta and look who has implemented it, claimed Saumitra.
He declined to accept that Congress had propagated the Gandhian ideology and instead claimed Congress leaders were the murderers of Gandhian thoughts.
Where is Gram Swaraj, gau based economy, swadesi model and so on, questioned the BJP leader.
Claiming that he carries immense respect for Gandhi, he added that all the great personalities including Gandhi are sons of this motherland.
On being asked on his take on layak and nalayak putra, Saumitra claimed layak (deserving) sons are those who have propagated his thoughts and PM Narendra Modi was the worthiest among sons, he claimed.
On Thursday, BJP Bhopal lok sabha candidate Pragya Thakur had kicked up a row calling Nathuram Godse a patriot during a roadshow in Agar Malwa. She later had apologised for the remarks.
BJP state president Rakesh Singh suspended Anil Saumitra, state media coordinator, from primary membership of the party and offered him seven days to furnish his reply on his statement, a communique from the BJP Madhya Pradesh said.