Mumbai, June 1: A Mumbai-based Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer triggered a political row by posting a controversial tweet on Mahatma Gandhi. In a tweet posted on May 17, IAS officer Nidhi Choudhary made derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi and glorified his killer Nathuram Godse. Nidhi Choudhary. however, later deleted her tweet and said her remarks were misunderstood.

On 17 May, Nidhi had tweeted: "What an exceptional celebration of 150th birth year is going on. High time, we remove his face from our currency, his statutes from across the world, rename institutions/roads named after him! That would be a real tribute from all of us! ThankU Godse for 30.01.1948 (sic)." She is currently posted as Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Special) of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Kamal Haasan Calls 'Hindu' Nathuram Godse Independent India's First Extremist.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday demanded the immediate suspension of Nidhi. "We demand the immediate suspension of IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari for her derogatory tweet against Mahatma Gandhi. She gloried Nathuram Godse. This should not be tolerated," NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said at a press conference. A screenshot of Nidhi's controversial tweet was going viral on social media.

As her tweet embroiled in political controversy, Nidhi deleted the post and made a clarification on Twitter. "I have deleted my tweet of 17.05.2019 w.r.t. Gandhiji because some people misunderstood it. If only they had followed my timeline since 2011 they would've understood that I would NEVER even dream of insulting Gandhiji. I bow before him with the deepest regard and will do till last breath," the IAS officer wrote.

IAS officer Nidhi Choudhary's clarification:

The political row erupted following Nidhi's tweet coincided with the controversy, which erupted over BJP's Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's, now an MP, statement that the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse, was a true patriot. Thakur, a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, said: "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt."

The BJP rapped Thakur for her remarks after which she had apologised. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while defending her candidature, said he would never forgive Thakur for her comment on Mahatma Gandhi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2019 08:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).