50 MPs write to Speaker, seek to censure Pragya for insulting Mahatma Gandhi

As many as 50 Members of Parliament (MPs) including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Dayanidhi Maran, Manicka Tagore, and NK Premachandran have given a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to censure BJP MP Pragya Thakur for "insulting Mahatma Gandhi."

"House resolves to censure Pragya Thakur for having insulted Mahatma Gandhi by calling Nathuram Godse a 'Deshbhakt' in the House," the letter states.

Lok Sabha Speaker Birla had earlier today said that no debate will be held on the remark made by Thakur on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, as what she said was "expunged" from records.

"What she (BJP MP Pragya Thakur) said has been expunged from the record. How can there be a debate if it is not on record?" said Om Birla.

The Speaker's clarification came when Congress leader in the Lok Sabha raked up the issue.

Thakur, BJP MP from Bhopal, had triggered an uproar during a discussion in the lower house on Wednesday when she interrupted DMK leader A Raja's speech during a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment ) Bill and praised Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse.

However, later on, she claimed that she was referring to Udham Singh. Speaker Om Birla expunged Thakur's remark from the record but opposition members protested outside the House.

Earlier this year, she described Godse as a 'patriot' and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear that such statements would not be tolerated by the party.