Union minister Giriraj Singh on Friday termed Nathuram Godse a ‘saput’ (worthy son) of India and said the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi was not an invader like Mughal rulers Babar and Aurangzeb as he was born in India. The firebrand BJP leader from Bihar is on a two-day visit to the Bastar region to meet the party workers and leaders.
Talking to reporters in Bastar’s Dantewada, Singh said those who feel happy in calling themselves children of Babar and Aurangzeb cannot be true sons of mother India.
The politics over the 17th Century Mughal emperor intensified in the aftermath of recent violence in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur following a protest by Hindutva outfits against some social media posts allegedly glorifying Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. While the Maharashtra home minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed for maintaining peace, he defended the aggression saying “there is bound to be a reaction if Aurangzeb is glorified.” He also said that “suddenly, in some districts of Maharashtra, aulad (progenies) of Aurangzeb took birth.”
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi countered Fadnavis saying he didn’t know the BJP leader was “such an expert” and asked him to “call out the offsprings” of Godse.
When asked about Owaisi’s remarks Singh said, “If he (Godse) was the killer of Gandhi, he (Godse) was also a saput of India. He was born in India. He was not an invader like Babar and Aurangzeb.”
Singh also accused the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh of spreading terror and encouraging religious conversion. “Tribals and non-tribals are being converted in the state as part of a conspiracy. When BJP is elected to power in the state, a stringent law will be enacted against conversion,” he said.
Targeting the state’s Congress government, the Union minister claimed the misappropriation of funds given to Chhattisgarh under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). “Whoever is siphoning off MNREGA funds will have to face investigation and they will be punished, be it chief minister or others,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to Singh’s comment, Congress said the BJP leader is known for his ‘nonsense statements’. He and the BJP are frustrated that they are not coming to power in upcoming elections.
“He is known for his nonsensical statements and also for spreading hatred. He should learn how to behave in a democracy. Actually, he got frustrated after visiting Chhattisgarh because his party is badly losing upcoming elections,” said RP Singh, Congress spokesperson.
