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MP Congress MLA says will burn Pragya Thakur alive, then apologises

The state congress had staged protests against the Bhopal MP’s remarks yesterday and today a senior MP Congress functionary lodged a police complaint in Indore, alleging Thakur supported a terrorist by calling Godse a patriot.

Updated on: Nov 29, 2019, 14:35:37 IST
Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By
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A Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh threatened to burn BJP MP Pragya Thakur “alive” for calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse, a patriot in the Parliament.

Thakur said she respects Mahatma Gandhi and apologises for hurting sentiments with her Wednesday remark. (PTI Photo)
Thakur said she respects Mahatma Gandhi and apologises for hurting sentiments with her Wednesday remark. (PTI Photo)

Congress MLA from Biaora of Rajgarh district, Govardhan Dangi, said if Thakur came to his place, “he won’t burn her effigy, but burn her alive”.

When contacted Dangi said his Thursday outburst was a “mistake” made in an “emotional” state.

“We were staging protest against Thakur for calling the father of the nation’s killer, a patriot. I got emotional and mistakenly used the wrong words. But it doesn’t mean that we won’t continue our protest against her,” Dangi said. He has neither retracted his comments publicly nor issued an apology.

The state congress had staged protests against the Bhopal MP’s remarks yesterday and today a senior MP Congress functionary lodged a police complaint in Indore, alleging Thakur supported a terrorist by calling Godse a patriot.

Pragya Thakur was accused of referring to Nathruam Godse as a patriot during a debate on the SPG bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Thakur was pulled up by the party brass and told not to attend meetings of the party MPs till the end of the current winter session of Parliament.

Today, Thakur said she respected Mahatma Gandhi’s contributions and apologises for her comment made two days ago. Thakur, however, added that action must also be taken against the MP who had called her a “terrorist” despite no court holding her guilty on that charge.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi had, in a tweet yesterday, referred to Pragya as “terrorist”.

BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said while Pragya’s Godse comments were condemnable, calling her a “terrorist” was also out of order.

  • Shruti Tomar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shruti Tomar

    I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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