NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condemned afirebrand Hindu election candidate from his ruling party who called theassassin of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi a “patriot”.
The conservative prime minister was forced to act as a backlash grew overcomments by Pragya Singh Thakur, already dogged by a criminal case over a2008 bomb attack, ahead of Sunday’s final round of India’s marathonelection.
Thakur later issued an apology for her statement that Gandhi’s assassinNathuram Godse “was, is, and will remain a patriot”.
But it failed to douse the controversy, and the Hindu nationalist BharatiyaJanata Party said it has launched an inquiry into Thakur.
“Any comments and or statements made on Gandhi or Godse are absolutelywrong. Such language and thoughts should be condemned and are unacceptablein a civilised society,” Modi said in a television interview.
“People with such beliefs must think one hundred times before saying suchthings.
“She apologised publicly for the comments, but I won’t forgive her at apersonal level,” Modi told the News 24 channel.
– Bomb attack charge –
Gandhi was shot three times in January 1948 by Godse, a Hindu fanaticangered by what he considered Gandhi’s pandering to Muslims and by India’spartition after independence in 1947.
The BJP astounded many last month when it named Thakur as its parliamentarycandidate in the Madhya Pradesh state capital of Bhopal.
Critics accused the party of using Thakur to polarise voters on religiouslines.
Thakur was arrested shortly after a bomb blast near a mosque in Melegaon,Maharashtra state, in 2008 that killed six people and injured 100.
One charge against her has been dropped, but Thakur is still on bailwaiting for another charge to be heard.
Thakur said she had only given her “personal opinion” about Gandhi. “Myintention was not to hurt anyone’s sentiments. If I’ve hurt anyone, I doapologise. What Gandhi has done for the country cannot be forgotten,” shesaid.
The opposition Congress party, which Gandhi once led, called on Modi toexpel Thakur from the BJP.
Read Top Stories
“Remove terror accused Pragya Thakur from your party. Her statements havenot only brought disgrace but also hurt the sentiments of people in Indiaand across the world,” said a party statement on Twitter.
The controversy erupted as Modi made a final bid to rally support for hiscampaign for a second term.
With the BJP facing a stiff challenge from Congress, the seventh and finalround of voting is on Sunday across eight states. Final results will beannounced May 23.
Authorities sent tens of thousands of security forces to the West Bengalstate capital of Kolkata following new clashes between BJP and oppositionfollowers.
A second night of street battles between activists of the BJP and theregional Trinamool Congress (TMC) in three days put the city on edge.Police said at least 26 arrests have been made.
The BJP has campaigned aggressively in West Bengal, hoping to take seatsfrom the TMC to make up for losses expected in other states.
An official election observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, saidthere have been more than 300 incidents of poll violence across West Bengalsince April 11.
The official said there would be “an unprecedented deployment of security”before Sunday with tens of thousands of troops and paramilitaries expectedin the city of 4.5 million people.
The final day of voting will also be held in Uttar Pradesh, includingModi’s constituency of Varanasi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand,Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh states.
The BJP won 282 seats of the 543 at stake in 2014, in one of the biggestlandslides triumphs ever in India.
Analysts predict Modi’s party will lose seats this time and could need acoalition to form a new government.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a press conference in New Delhiwhere he condemned an extremist Hindu election candidate from his rulingparty who said the assassin of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi was a”patriot” – APP / AFP
