Like 'khaki nikkar,' Nathuram Godse an identity of RSS: Azam Khan

Nathuram Godse is the identity of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) the same way the 'khaki nikkar' is, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan said after BJP's Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur courted a controversy by calling killer of the Mahatma Gandhi a "patriot".

"Condemnation of Pragya Singh Thakur's comment by the BJP is not enough. Godse is the identity of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the same way khaki nikkar (khaki shorts) is. Now, it is in the hands of the people to decide whether they want our nation to be identified with Gandhi or Godse, humanity or khaki nikkar," Khan said on Thursday.

On May 16, when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu (in reference to Godse), Thakur had said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

Criticising the BJP government over giving the ticket to "a supporter of Godse", SP leader said Thakur must be thrown out of the party.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting against her from Bhopal, has sought BJP's apology for her remarks.

Soon after her controversial statement on 'Godse', the opposition parties attacked Singh saying what she said reflected the mindset of the people nurtured in the RSS ideology.However, the BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao issued a statement saying the party condemns the statement of Thakur and said she should apologize publicly for terming Gandhi's assassin Godse a "true patriot'.Later, Thakur tendered an apology for her remark stating that she respects Mahatma Gandhi a lot and his sacrifice for the country cannot be forgotten.