After Apologising For Godse Praise, Pragya Thakur Moves Privilege Motion Against Rahul Gandhi

Thakur, who was earlier forced to tender an unconditional apology in Lok Sabha for her praise for Nahuram Godse in the House, accused the Congress MP of breaching her privilege as a parliamentarian by calling her a "terrorist".

Lok Sabha secretariat will examine the merit of her complaint before recommending to the Speaker. (File Photos/ Getty)

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Thakur on Friday submitted a breach of privilege notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling her a "terrorist". Thakur, who was earlier forced to tender an unconditional apology in Lok Sabha for her praise for Nahuram Godse in the House, accused the Congress MP of breaching her privilege as a parliamentarian by calling her a "terrorist" even though there is no court conviction against her and sought action against him from the Speaker. Official sources told news agency PTI that the Lok Sabha secretariat will examine the merit of her complaint before recommending to the Speaker whether to admit her notice and send it to the privilege committee of the House or reject it. Gandhi had called her a "terrorist" on Twitter following her praise of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin. He stood by his comments on Friday. Another BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday demanded a privilege motion against Gandhi over his "terrorist" remarks purportedly against Thakur. Dubey expressed his demand in the Lok Sabha at a time when Congress and other opposition leaders were seeking an "unqualified" apology from Thakur over her remark on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, and shouting slogans like "Down down Godse", "Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jai", "Down down BJP". The MP from Jharkhand's Godda constituency requested Speaker Om Birla to permit him a privilege motion against Gandhi for allegedly calling Thakur, a sitting BJP MP, a "terrorist", and urged him to ensure the dignity of parliamentarians as a custodian of the House and law. Dubey also said that in Maharashtra, the Congress has formed the government with Shiv Sena, which in its editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna, had hailed Godse as a patriot. Thakur on Wednesday sparked a row with her remarks in the Lok Sabha during DMK leader A. Raja's reference of statement by Godse before a court on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi. He had cited Godse's statement during a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019, to which Thakur reacted. Facing protests, Thakur on Friday expressed regret and tendered an apology in the Lok Sabha twice on her remarks on Godse. However, Gandhi stood firm on his remarks and also reacted on Dubey's demand to bring privilege motion against him in the Lok Sabha. He replied to Dubey by saying, "Do it. Do whatever you want to. I have clarified my position." Reacting to Sadhvi Pragya's praise of Nathuram Godse in the Parliament on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "What she is saying that is the heart of the RSS and BJP, what can I say? It cannot be hidden. I don't need to waste my time demanding action against that woman." In a tweet later, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Terrorist Pragya calls terrorist Godse, a patriot. A sad day, in the history of India’s Parliament." Several Opposition members of the Lok Sabha protested against Thakur's remarks. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had said only the DMK leader's speech during the discussion on the SPG Amendment Bill will go on record. (With inputs from agencies)