Sharad Pawar Writes to CM Devendra Fadnavis Seeking ‘Exemplary Action’ Against IAS Officer For Derogatory Tweet Against Mahatma Gandhi

Earlier on Saturday, another NCP leader had demanded suspension of IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari over her derogatory tweet against Mahatma Gandhi, which she later deleted.

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding ‘exemplary action’ against IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari for her derogatory tweet against Mahatma Gandhi.

Choudhari is currently posted as Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Special) of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

As per news agency ANI, the IAS officer had posted a tweet on May 17 demanding the ‘removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s face from currency, his statues from across the world, rename institutions/roads named after him’. She also thanked Nathuram Godse for the assassination of Gandhi on January 30, 1948. Notably, she deleted the post after facing backlash.

In a similar move on Saturday, another NCP leader Jitendra Awhad had sought the suspension of woman IAS officer for ‘glorifying’ Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.

Awhad, as quoted by news agency ANI, had said, “We demand immediate suspension of IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari for her derogatory tweet against Mahatma Gandhi. She gloried Nathuram Godse, this should not be tolerated.”

It is not the first time that a controversy over ‘glorification’ of Nathuram Godse has erupted. Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur had termed him a ‘patriot’. The party had distanced itself from this statement of hers. She was also served a notice by the party high command to explain the statement.

However later, she apologised for the remark. Her statement was also condemned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had said that he would not be able to forgive her ever.