Top leaders across parties have slammed Singh over his remarks Top leaders across parties have slammed Singh over his remarks Top leaders across parties have slammed Singh over his remarks BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Friday termed Nathuram Godse a 'saput' (worthy son) of India in a swipe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. He also said the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi was not an invader like Mughal rulers Babar and Aurangzeb as he was born in India.
"If Godse is Gandhi's killer, he is also the nation's son. He was born in India, and he was not an invader like Aurangzeb and Babar. Whosoever feels happy to be called the son of Babar, that person can't be the son of Bharat Mata," Giriraj Singh said while talking to reporters in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada city.
A day after his remark, a leader of the ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, took a swipe at Singh saying, in that case, dacoits like Veerappan, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and fugitive economic offenders like Vijay Mallya are also sons of Mother India.
“If someone is claiming that person like Godse is the son of Mother India, then dacoits like Chambal, Dawood, Veerappan and Mallya are also sons of Mother India,” Kumar told ANI.
“Godse, Veerappan, Dawood, and Mallya can be the darling of the BJP but the worthy sons of India are revolutionaries like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Ashfaqulla Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, and Prafulla Chaki.”
Singh's remark on Friday came after Hyderabad MP Owaisi reacted to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s comment on "Aurangzeb ki auladein".
A curfew was imposed in Kolhapur on Wednesday following the violent clashes that broke out between two groups over controversial social media posts on Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan.
"Suddenly, in some districts of Maharashtra, sons of Aurangzeb took birth. They keep the status of Aurangzeb and show their posters. Because of this, there are tensions. Questions arise. Where do these sons of Aurangzeb come from? Who are behind this? We will find this out," Fadnavis told ANI.
To which Owaisi said, “Maharashtra’s Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis said ‘Aurangzeb ke aulaad.’ Do you know everything? I didn’t know you (Fadnavis) were such an expert. Then you should know who the children of Godse and Apte too. Who are they?”
Giriraj Singh hit back at Owaisi for his remark and termed Nathuram Godse a ‘saput’ (worthy son) of India and said those who feel happy in calling themselves children of Babar and Aurangzeb cannot be true sons of mother India.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, in a rebuttal, termed Giriraj Singh's remark 'communal'.
"My reaction is total rejection of what Giriraj Singh said. He has made a communal statement, he praised a person who killed the father of the nation. 'Babar ki Aulad' is a term used by communal people...we reject it. He called Mughal emperors as the people against India," the TMC MP said.
Former Union minister and Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal also hit out at the BJP leader. "Giriraj Singh: Godse a ‘saput’ (worthy son) of India. Assassin, born in India unlike the Mughals. By this statement many may not call you a ‘worthy son’ of India. Assassins cannot be distinguished by their origin! Hope the PM and Amit Shah condemn this statement," he wrote on Twitter.