BJP MP Pragya Thakur has been removed a parliamentary consultative committee on defence
A Congress MLA in Madhya Pradesh has threatened to "burn" BJP MP Pragya Thakur for her reported remarks in parliament seen as disrespectful towards Mahatma Gandhi. Ms Thakur has denied her comment in parliament on Thursday was against Mahatma Gandhi.
"If Pragya Thakur sets foot here, we won't burn her effigy, we will instead burn her," Congress MLA Govardhan Dangi from Madhya Pradesh's Biaora told reporters.
Ms Thakur, a first-time MP, said that Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, was a "patriot", drawing severe criticism from the Congress and even senior BJP leaders like JP Nadda and Rajnath Singh.
The Congress MLA said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ran several programmes on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and gave message of peace in the country. "But Pragya Thakur is calling an assassin a patriot," Mr Dangi said.
Mr Dangi later apologised for his comment. "We follow Mahatma Gandhi's principles. I meant to say that the people of Rajgarh district will boycott her. There was some mistake in speaking. We are followers of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence... I apologise for it," Mr Dangi told reporters, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
Ms Thakur made the comment during a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill. At the time the DMK's A Raja was speaking and referred to a statement by Nathuram Godse on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi. At around this point, Ms Thakur interrupted Mr Raja with a comment that provoked a furious reaction from the opposition.
"The topic that was discussed was of security and A Raja spoke about deshbhakt Udham Singh. He said Udham Singh nursed a grudge against General Dyer of Jallianwala Bagh massacre for 20 years before killing him. When Raja went on speaking, I interrupted to say he should not take a patriot's name - deshbhakto ka naam mat lijiye (don't take the names of patriots)," Pragya Thakur said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Pragya Thakur's comment was condemnable and she has been removed from a parliamentary consultative committee on defence.
The Congress has demanded that Pragya Thakur resign as MP.