Congress MLA threatens to burn Pragya alive; apologises

An MLA of ruling Congress in Madhya Pradesh has threatened to burn alive BJP Lok Sabha MP Pragya Singh Thakur, facing flak for her remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, if she entered his constituency.

The MLA, Govardhan Dangi, issued the threat on Thursday, but apologised on Friday for his controversial remark, saying it was a mistake.

The Congress MLA from Biaora in Rajgarh district said he firmly believes in Gandhian principle of non-violence.

After staging a protest at Biaora, about 115km from Bhopal, on Thursday against Thakur's comment in the Lok Sabha, Dangi told reporters, "Nothing can be more disgusting than praising Mahatma Gandhi's assassin.

"We criticised her...not only burnt her effigy but if she comes here we will burn her too, said the MLA, whose statement went viral on social media.

After controversy erupted over his statement, Dangi told the media he follows Mahatma Gandhi's principles.

I meant to say that the people of Rajgarh district will boycott her. There was some mistake in speaking. We are followers of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence... I apologise for it, Dangi said on Friday.

The state Congress distanced itself from Dangi's statement.

We follow the Father of the Nation's non-violence doctrine. The MLA realised his mistake and apologised, said state Congress spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi.

Thakur's praise of Godse in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday has stirred a political storm with the Congress on Thursday staging protests in several towns in Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, her constituency.

The Bhopal MP on Friday tendered an apology in the Lok Sabha but said her remarks on Godse have been twisted. She said her comments were in a different context.

During the Lok Sabha election campaign, Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, had kicked up a row by describing Godse as a "patriot".

She later apologised for her comment.