NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday slammed Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, for referring to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "deshbhakt" (patriot). "Thankfully, she didn't call Nathuram Godse a 'devta' (god)," Nath said.

The Congress leader claimed that the BJP first asks its leaders to make such statements and later condemns their remarks. "Democracy is in shambles. It's the matter of concern that what will be the future of the country," he said.

Thakur's remarks created a major row with the opposition parties attacking her and the BJP, with the NCP saying people can now see the "real face" of the Amit Shah-led party and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakur's statement and asked her to tender a public apology, which the controversial leader did.

"We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said in a statement.

Attacking the BJP and Thakur, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said,"it is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP."

"Modi-Amit Shah ji's favourite BJP leader, Pragya Thakur once again insulted the whole nation by calling Gandhi's killer, Nathuram Godse 'a true patriot'," he said in a statement.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil tweeted that Nathuram Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by BJP's candidate Pragya Thakur and is being called a patriot.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

"Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

Both CPI and CPI (M) also criticised Thakur for her controversial.

"It's a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi?" CPI leader D Raja said.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said: "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?". Though he did not name Thakur.

Adding to her list of controversial statements, Thakur, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, had said: "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."

Thakur said this in response to a question over actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's recent comment that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Godse.

Pragya Thakur got herself embroiled in a series of controversies after being declared BJP's candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. Her comment that former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed due to her curse evoked sharp reactions.

Thakur, out on bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, had said that Karkare died in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack because she had "cursed" him for "torturing" her during the blast probe. She also had said that she was "proud" of her participation in the demolition of the Babri mosque at Ayodhya in 1992.

Thakur is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the Malegaon blasts case in which six people died and around 100 were injured in 2006.