Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel on Friday alleged that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was responsible for killing 17,000 people – a reference to 1984 anti-Sikh riots after Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard.

His remarks come shortly after BJP’s Sadhvi Pragya claimed that Godse was a deshbhakt and those calling him a terrorist should instead look within. She was reacting to Kamal Hasaan’s India’s first extremist was a Hindu remark made at an election rally recently. However, the BJP distanced itself from her remarks and the Bhopal BJP candidate tendered an apology later.

Amid the controversy over Sadhvi Pragya’s remark, Kateel in a tweet said: “Godse killed one, Kasab killed 72, Rajiv Gandhi killed 17,000. You judge who is more cruel in this??”

The BJP has repeatedly raised Rajiv Gandhi, the father of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, while targeting the opposition party over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots following Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. Nearly 3,000 were killed in the three-day carnage.