New Delhi, May 17: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday took a swipe at the BJP over its leaders making controversial remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, saying the BJP and the RSS are not "God-ke Lovers" but "God-se Lovers". Amit Shah Says Pro-Godse Remarks of Anant Hegde, Pragya Thakur, Nalin Kateel 'Taken Seriously', BJP's Disciplinary Committee to Decide.
The Pandora's box opened on Thursday with BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur lauding Godse as a "patriot" and issuing an apology hours later, saying she respected Gandhi and his work for the country cannot be forgotten.
"I finally got it. The BJP and the RSS... Are not God-Ke Lovers. They are God-Se Lovers," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
I finally got it. The BJP and the RSS...
Are not God-Ke Lovers.
They are God-Se Lovers.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 17, 2019
As the row over Thakur's remarks escalated, BJP's MP from Karnataka Nalin Kumar Kateel compared Godse with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi
"Godse killed one, Kasab killed 72, Rajiv Gandhi killed 17,000. You judge who is more cruel in this??" Kateel tweeted on Thursday, equating Godse, 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab and Rajiv Gandhi. Nathuram Godse 'Patriot' Row: Anantkumar Hegde Defends Mahatma Gandhi's Assassin on Twitter, Later Claims 'Account Hacked'.
My account was hacked since yesterday. There is no question of justifying Gandhi ji's murder. There can be no sympathy or justification of Gandhi ji's murder. We all have full respect for Gandhi ji's contribution to the nation.
— Chowkidar Anantkumar Hegde (@AnantkumarH) May 17, 2019
Union minister Anantkumar Hegde also found himself in the news with a purported tweet justifying Godse's action. However, later the minister claimed his account was hacked.