BJP Upset With MP Anantkumar Hegde's Remarks On Gandhiji

The top brass of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) is said to be extremely miffed with party MP Anantkumar Hegde's views on Mahatma Gandhi. The party leadership is contemplating banning the motor mouth MP from attending Parliamentary panel meetings for the rest of the budget session. It is learnt that the BJP leadership could also issue a show-cause notice to the MP who is not new to controversy. It remains to be seen if the party would take any stronger punitive measure after his response.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to be angry with Hegde's views which have embarrassed the party and the government. On Sunday, the seven-time MP remarked at an event that the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi was a mere drama.

Hegde said that Gandhiji's freedom struggle was carried out with the consent of the British rulers. He wondered how Gandhiji could be called Mahatma.

Congress leaders lashed out at the BJP MP and demanded an explanation from the Prime Minister. They demanded that the party leadership apologise for the errant MP's outrageous comments. Leaders of other opposition parties also hit out at Hegde for his distasteful remarks.

Meanwhile, a BJP Parliamentary Board meeting chaired by party president Jagat Prakash Nadda is underway. The party meeting began at 9:30 AM on Tuesday.