Sadhvi Prachi's remarks on Gandhi deprecated by Cong, SP

Congress MLAs today tried to move a censure notice in the Assembly against VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi, who had described Mahatma Gandhi as a "British agent".

Her controversial remarks also drew criticism from the SP government. "It is a very serious matter...those who have no identity have found one by making such remarks...but a particular political party (BJP) has no control over sadhus and mahatmas," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan said in the state Assembly.

Khan said this when Congress members tried to move the censure notice. Today, "it has become some kind of a fashion to make such remarks," he said.
"There should be some control and legal action against them was necessary."

The controversial VHP leader in Ghaziabad yesterday had sparked another row, as she alleged that Gandhi was a "British agent" and his contribution towards independence of the country was "negligible", days after former PCI chairman Markandey Katju levelled the same allegation.

As Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey rejected their (Congress MLAs) demand and asked them to give prior notice, the members barged into the Well to press for the demand following which Khan spoke on the issue.

Khan also took the opportunity to make a reference to the recent controversy arising out of arrest of a youth who allegedly posted "inflammatory" comments against him on the Facebook.

"Comments were made against me on the Facebook which could have led to frenzy in society...the 19-year-old arrested for it turned out to be that of 35...Leader of the Opposition (Swami Prasad Maurya) and others talk of rule of law and when action is taken sympathise with the accused," he said.

Earlier, Pradip Mathur and Anugrah Narain Singh (both from Congress) tried to bring the censure notice saying there is an attempt to harm the social fabric."She (Sadhvi) has tried to become another (Markandey) Katju and should be arrested and there should be a ban on them," they said.

Their reference was to the former Supreme Court judge's remark against Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose. The Assembly had unanimously adopted a censure motion against Katju on Friday.

"It was only due to sole effort of Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil and Subhash Chandra Bose that India was freed from the clutches of the British," she had reportedly said.