PM should throw out Godse 'devotees' from party or end 'sham' of bowing before Gandhi's status: Cong
New Delhi, Jun 10: Objecting to BJP leaders' remarks "glorifying" Nathuram Godse, the Congress on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should either throw out such "devotees" of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin from his party or end the "sham" of bowing before Gandhi's statues.
The opposition party targeted the prime minister a day after Union minister Giriraj Singh termed Godse a "saput" (worthy son) of India. Another BJP leader, former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, called Godse a "patriot" a few days earlier.
While senior BJP leaders are glorifying Godse, the prime minister "says nothing" and takes no action against them, the Congress charged.
"Today we challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi: You have to do one of these - Throw out Godse devotees from your party or end the sham of bowing down before Gandhiji. There is no place for worshippers of Godse in this country of Gandhiji. Modiji, you have to decide," the Congress said in a tweet in Hindi.
The party also shared a picture of Prime Minister Modi bowing before a bust of Mahatma Gandhi during his recent visit to Japan.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, "First it is a former CM of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat, who calls Nathuram Godse a patriot. Now Union Minister Giriraj Singh praises him. But the man who turned the Mahatma's spectacles into a logo for Swachh Bharat-- a rebrand of the earlier Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan -- says nothing and takes no action to pull up his colleagues."
Asked about Giriraj Singh's remark, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said Rahul Gandhi has established, within India and abroad, that the fight today is between Gandhi and Godse.
"Mahatma Gandhi represents all that is good within us, in our society, whether it is truth, whether it is non-violence or whether it is love. And Godse stands for violence, he stands for hatred, he stands for lies. And that is why the question: why do people from the BJP, why do senior leaders from the BJP, whether it is Giriraj Singh or the former chief minister of Uttarakhand, go on glorifying Godse and why does Mr Modi not take cognizance of this," she asked.
She said Prime Minister Modi finds legitimacy, whether in India or overseas, from Gandhi. "That is why you don't see him going and inaugurating statues of Godse. He goes and bows before Gandhi because Gandhi is the biggest apostle of peace, love and humanity. And the fight of our times is between Godse and Gandhi. We know who is standing with Godse because we are certainly standing steadfastly with Gandhi," she said.
Union minister Giriraj Singh on Friday termed Godse a "saput" (worthy son) of India and said the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi was not an invader like Mughal rulers Babur and Aurangzeb as he was born in India.
Talking to reporters in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, Singh, who holds the rural development and panchayati raj portfolio, said those who feel happy in calling themselves children of Babur and Aurangzeb cannot be true sons of mother India.
Earlier this week, former Uttarakhand chief minister Rawat termed Godse a patriot while mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Targeting the former Congress president, Rawat said merely having the Gandhi surname did not make his ideology Gandhian.
"Gandhi ji was killed, that is a different issue. But as far as I have understood and read Godse, he too was a patriot. We do not agree with the killing of Gandhi ji," Rawat said.
Targeting the two BJP leaders, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said, "Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation. Celebrating his killer is an anti-national act. But if you're in the BJP, celebrating Godse is a badge of honour. The recent statements of Giriraj Singh, a Minister holding a constitutional post, and former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat reflect the mindset of their party. The PM's silence tells you he approves of their every word."
Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation. Celebrating his killer is an anti-national act. But if you’re in the BJP, celebrating Godse is a badge of honour.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) June 10, 2023
The recent statements of Giriraj Singh, a Minister holding a constitutional post, and former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra…
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Doctor, 6 labourers killed in terror attack in J&K's Ganderbal
Srinagar (PTI): A doctor and six labourers were killed when terrorists struck a tunnel-construction site on the Srinagar-Leh national highway in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Sunday, officials said.
The unidentified terrorists carried out the attack when the labourers and other staff working on the tunnel project at Gund in Ganderbal had returned to their camp late in the evening, the officials said.
They said the terrorists -- believed to be at least two -- opened indiscriminate fire on the group of labourers that included both locals and non-locals.
While two labourers died on the spot, four others and the doctor succumbed to their injuries subsequently, the officials said, adding that five people are undergoing treatment for injuries.
The deceased have been identified as Dr Shahnawaz, Faheem Nazir, Kaleem, Mohammad Hanif, Shashi Abrol, Anil Shukla and Gurmeet Singh.
Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the attackers, the officials said.
Top security officials, including Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, V K Birdi, have reached the spot to assess the situation.
Condemning the terror attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said those involved in the heinous act will not be spared.
"The dastardly terror attack on civilians in Gagangir, J&K, is a despicable act of cowardice. Those involved in this heinous act will not be spared and will face the harshest response from our security forces," Shah said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the number of casualties in the attack may go up.
"The casualty figure from the Gagangir attack is not final as there are a number of injured labourers, both local and non-local. Praying that the injured make a full recovery as the more seriously injured are being referred to SKIMS, Srinagar," he said in a post on X.
Abdullah condemned the attack, which came barely four days after he was sworn in as the chief minister of the Union Territory.
"Very sad news of a dastardly and cowardly attack on non-local labourers at Gagangir in Sonamarg region. These people were working on a key infrastructure project in the area. 2 have been killed and 2-3 more have been injured in this militant attack. I strongly condemn this attack on unarmed innocent people and send my condolences to their loved ones," he said in another post on the microblogging platform.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha strongly condemned the heinous terror attack on civilians. "I assure the people that those behind this despicable act will not go unpunished. We have given full freedom to J&K Police, Army and security forces," Sinha said in a post on X.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the attack.
"Unequivocally condemn this senseless act of violence against two labourers in Ganderbal. Deepest condolences to their families," she said in a post on X before the officials revised the death toll in the incident.
In a post on X, People's Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone said: "Strongly condemn the dastardly act of terror wherein two persons have lost their lives in Sonamarg. This is an insane act of madness. My thoughts with these two families. May the perpetrators be brought to justice."
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra expressed grave concern over the attack and said such incidents will vitiate the atmosphere in the Union Territory. He urged the government to take immediate measures to prevent such brutal attacks on innocent labourers.
On Friday, the bullet-riddled body of a labourer from Bihar was found in Shopian district, officials said.
