After Pragya Singh Thakur, another BJP leader has made a shocking statement by comparing Nathuram Godse with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose name has been continuously dragged into the election campaign by PM Narendra Modi.

“Godse killed one, Kasab killed 72, Rajiv Gandhi killed 17,000. You judge who is more cruel in this??” tweeted Nalin Kateel, a BJP MP from Karnataka.

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Rajiv Gandhi’s name has been taken in a single breath along with the terrorist Ajmal Kasab and Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.

The BJP has been repeatedly raising Rajiv Gandhi name while targeting the Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots following Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards.

The shocking comparison comes amidst controversy over Pragya Thakur’s comment glorifying Godse as a patriot.

Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP candidate from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, on Thursday, said that Nathuram Godse was a “deshbhakt (patriot)”, is a “deshbhakt (patriot)” and will remain a “deshbhakt (patriot). People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections.”

However, the BJP distanced itself from the remark and asked Thakur to apologise.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has numerous times targeted Gandhi ahead of the polls in Delhi on May 12.

At a rally, PM Modi had said that Rajiv Gandhi, who was termed ‘Mr. Clean’ by his courtiers died as a “corrupt” leader.

The BJP had also tweeted a video of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots which includes a clip of Rajiv Gandhi saying on the riots, “When a tree falls, the earth shakes.”