Bhopal: Even as Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah issued notices to three party leaders over their 'anti-Mahatma Gandhi' utterances, party spokesperson from Madhya Pradesh kicked up another row with his social media post.
BJP spokesperson Anil Saumitra was suspended from the BJP, while the party also served a notice to Pragya Thakur over her remarks.
“Rastrpita the, par Pakistan Rashtra ke. Bharat Rashtra me to unke jaise karodon putra huye, kuchh layak the tau kuchh nalayak (He was the father of the nation, but it was Pakistan. India has had many sons like him — some are deserving, others aren't),” posted Saumitra on his Facebook wall.
Stating that views expressed by Saumitra were in contradiction to BJP's principles, party state head Rakesh Singh suspended the leader from primary membership of BJP and gave him seven days to furnish a reply.
While speaking to News18, Saumitra however claimed those were his personal views and also identified himself as a follower of Gandhian thoughts, adding he extensively reads Gandhi and his ideology.
He objected to the term ‘Rashtrpita’ saying after independence, the term was simply translated into Hindi from Father of the Nation to Rashtrapita by some "conspirators". This term was later established in discourse and discussions.
Not offering a candid reply, Saumitra even claimed India was an ancient country and was a rashtra long ago and the concept of Rashtra was found in Vedic scriptures as well. "Even the seers proudly called them sons of this soil," he said.
The BJP leader further added that the great personalities of the nation also were eligible to be called suputra (true son) of the country.
On being asked about his "rashtrapita of Pakistan" statement, Saumitra went on to claim that Pakistan was born out of a "conspiracy of the British and mutual confrontation of both Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru who both wanted to become Prime Minister". "As only one of them could become the PM, they bifurcated the nation," he added.
Asked whether he did not agree to rashtrapita tag used for Mahatma Gandhi, the leader went on to claim its "them who follow and implement Gandhian ideology". Gandhi preached us about swachhta and look who has implemented it, he said.
Saumitra declined to accept that Congress had propagated the Gandhian ideology and instead claimed Congress leaders were the murderers of Gandhian thoughts.
"Where is Gram Swaraj, gau based economy, swadesi model and so on," questioned the BJP leader.
Claiming that he carries immense respect for Gandhi, the BJP spokesperson added that all the great personalities, including Gandhi, are sons of this motherland.
On being asked about his take on layak and nalayak putra, Saumitra claimed layak (deserving) sons are those who have propagated his thoughts and "PM Narendra Modi is the worthiest among sons".
On Thursday, BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Thakur had kicked up a row calling Nathuram Godse a patriot during a roadshow in Agar Malwa. She later apologised for the remarks.
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