My tweet was against vilification of Mahatma Gandhi's legacy: Nidhi Choudhari
IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari courted controversy after NCP claimed that the post derided Mahatma & glorified Godse
Nidhi Choudhari Nidhi Choudhari said that the tweet was written in a sarcastic vein
A day after her tweet calling for Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy to be wiped out, landed her in stoke a controversy, BMC deputy municipal commissioner Nidhi Choudhari said the statement was satirical and reflected her “deep grief and anguish against the vilification of Gandhiji.”
On May 17, Choudhari, an IAS officer of 2012 batch, had tweeted that about the “exceptional celebration” of the 150th birth anniversary of the father of the nation. She had also contended that Mahatma Gandhi’s pictures from Indian currency, his statues and name of roads after his name should be done away with. She had also “thanked” Godse for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi in her tweet, which she later deleted owning to criticism on social media.
“High time, we remove his face from our currency, his statues from across the world, rename institutions/ roads named after him! That would be real tribute from all of us! ThankU #Godse for 30.01.1948 (sic),” she had tweeted.
IN HER DEFENCE |
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Incidentally, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who was subsequently elected to Parliament, had called Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse, a true patriot.
On Saturday, NCP leader Jitendra Avhad called for Choudhari’s suspension for the “derogatory” tweet.
Speaking to DNA, Choudhari said the tweet reflected her “deep grief and anguish against the vilification of Gandhiji.” “My idea was... people have given different tributes to Gandhiji and (to reflect) what is happening around,” she added.
Mahatma Gandhi was shot by Nathuram Godse
Choudhari, who holds the charge as deputy municipal commissioner (special), rued that when the world was celebrating Gandhiji’s 150 birth anniversary, some elements were vilifying his legacy and supporting his murder at the hands of Nathuram Godse. She questioned why a controversy had not erupted immediately after the tweet, adding that the outrage that erupted almost a fortnight later was “sudden and abrupt.”
The IAS officer reiterated that the tweet, which she deleted subsequently in view of intense criticism, was not “anti-Gandhi” and added that she was an ardent follower of the Mahatma. She also tweeted that his autobiography was her favourite book.