I will never forgive Sadhvi Pragya for insulting Bapu: Narendra Modi

"I will never forgive Sadhvi Pragya for insulting Bapu," Modi told news channel News 24.

Gandhi was also popularly called 'Bapu'.

As the Bharatiya Janata Party distanced itself from Pragya Singh Thakur's comment where she termed Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "patriot", the party's Bhopal candidate has apologized for the comment.

"It was completely my personal opinion. My intention was not to hurt anyone's sentiments. If I've hurt anyone I do apologise," she told media.

The BJP had earlier distance itself from her remark.

"BJP does not agree with this statement, we condemn it. Party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao has been quoted by The Indian Express.

When asked to respond to the ongoing controversy over actor-turned politician Kamal Haasan, saying "Godse, the first extremist of independent India, was a Hindu", saffron clad Thakur, who calls herself "sadhvi", said: "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a fitting reply in the election."

The BJP has received criticism from various quarters, including international media, for fielding a terrorism-case accused as a candidate.

Six people were killed and more than 100 were injured in the Malegaon blasts.

Godse was a member of the Hindu Mahasabha.