BJP should rename itself as Nathuram Godse Party, says Congress' Jaiveer Shergill

Slamming BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde for his remarks calling freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi a "drama", Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill on Monday said that Gandhi does not need a certificate from an organisation which spied for the British and that BJP should rename itself after Mahatma's assassin, Nathuram Godse Party.

"Mahatma Gandhi does not need a certificate of patriotism from a party which used to lick boots of the British. Anantkumar Hegde comes from an organisation which opposed the Tricolour, which opposed the Constitution, and opposed the Quit India Movement," Shergill said.

The Congress leader further said that BJP should rename itself to Nathuram Godse Party.

"The way the number of Godse-bhakts (devotees of Godse's ideology) is increasing in BJP, the party should rename itself to Nathuram Godse Party," Shergill said.

This comes after Hegde attacked Mahatma Gandhi by calling the freedom struggle led by him a "drama" and also questioned as to how "such people" come to be called 'Mahatma' in India.

"None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their Independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," Hegde said last week.

The BJP leader has not apologised for his remarks.