Congress MLA threatens to burn alive Pragya Thakur; apologises
Bhopal: An MLA of ruling Congress in Madhya Pradesh has threatened to burn alive BJP Lok Sabha MP Pragya Singh Thakur, facing flak for her remarks on Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse, if she entered his constituency.
The MLA, Govardhan Dangi, issued the threat on Thursday, but apologised on Friday for his controversial remark, saying it was a mistake.
The Congress MLA from Biaora in Rajgarh district said he firmly believes in Gandhian principle of non-violence.
After staging a protest at Biaora, about 115km from Bhopal, on Thursday against Thakur's comment in the Lok Sabha, Dangi told reporters, "Nothing can be more disgusting than praising Mahatma Gandhis assassin.
"We criticised her...not only burnt her effigy but if she comes here we will burn her too, said the MLA, whose statement went viral on social media.
After a controversy erupted over his statement, Dangi told the media he follows 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, Dangi said on Friday.
The state Congress distanced itself from Dangis statement.
We follow the Father of the Nations non-violence doctrine. The MLA realised his mistake and apologised, said state Congress spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi.
Thakur's praise of Godse in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday has stirred a political storm with the Congress on Thursday staging protests in several towns in Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, her constituency.
The Bhopal MP on Friday tendered an apology in the Lok Sabha, but said her remarks on Godse have been twisted. She said her comments were in a different context.
During the Lok Sabha election campaign, Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, had kicked up a row by describing Godse as a "patriot".
She later apologised for her comment.
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Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon after obituary tributes
New Delhi (PTI): The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon on Monday after paying tributes to departed members of the House, including two MPs who won the parliamentary elections this year.
As soon as the House met on the first day of the Winter Session, Speaker Om Birla mentioned the deaths of Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan, who was elected to the House from Nanded constituency in Maharashtra and Sk Nurul Islam, who was elected from the Basirhat seat in West Bengal.
Birla also mentioned the deaths of three former members -- M. M. Lawrence (Kerala), M Parvathi (Andhra Pradesh) and Harischandra Devram Chavan (Maharashtra) -- and paid respects to them.
After the House remained silent for some time as a mark of respect to the departed leaders, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, DMK leader T R Baalu, and Congress' Gaurav Gogoi were among those present in the Lower House.
Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan, son of deceased MP Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan, got elected as MP from Nanded in the just concluded by-elections.
