Uttar Pradesh: Can say with pride Godse was not a terrorist, says BJP MLA Surendra Singh

A day after Pragya Singh Thakur's controversial remarks over Nathuram Godse, BJP MLA from Balia Surendra Singh on Thursday said that Mahatma Gandhi's assassin was not a terrorist.

"Though I don't agree with Pragya Singh Thakur's language, I can certainly say it with pride that Godse was not a terrorist. That person made a mistake, and for the interest of the country. There was a feeling for the betterment of the country in him but he made a mistake," he said while speaking to ANI.

"Mahatma Gandhi was the Father of the Nation, worshipper of non-violence, an inspiration for freedom struggle, there is no doubt about that," he added.

The BJP leader said that "when the country was divided on the basis of two cultures, so if one country was declared Muslim country then India too should have been declared a Hindu Rashtra the same day."

On Wednesday, BJP MP Pragya Thakur had made a controversial remark praising Nathuram Godse in the Lok Sabha. Her remarks were later expunged from the record of the House.

The MP from Bhopal had triggered uproar during a discussion in the Lower House on Wednesday when she interjected 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.

Thakur was later barred from attending all Parliamentary Party meetings for the rest of the Winter Session by the BJP.

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

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.