Union minister Hegde, BJP MP Kateel jump into Godse row,

Union minister Anantkumar Hegde and his party lawmaker Nalinkumar Kateel Friday jumped into the Nathuram Godse row with tweets about Mahatma Gandhi's assassin that left the BJP red-faced and triggered outrage.

The tweets by Hegde and Kateel, seeking re-election from Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls, came days after BJPs Bhopal candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur lauded Godse as a patriot, before her party distanced itself from her remarks.

She issued an apology hours later saying she respected Gandhi and his work for the country cannot be forgotten.

Joining the Godse debate, Kateel tweeted, "Number of people killed by Nathuram is 1. Number of people Ajmal Kasab killed is 72. Number of people Rajiv Gandhi killed is 17,000.

Now you tell me who is the most cruel person?"
Another tweet that appeared on Hegdes page said, "Time to assert and move away from being apologetic! If not now... When???
Hegde and Kateel too are standing in support of her statement."
The Congress leader wondered how to call "these people" patriots, "who have no respect for those who fought for the freedom of the country..."