New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s defence of former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo continued today (Nov 19), this time on his reported remarks suggesting even Mahatma Gandhi had collected money during the freedom struggle.

"Whatever Judeo said was not in the context of Chandrashekhar Azad or Bhagat Singh and nor did he make any remarks on Mahatma Gandhi," party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters.

In an interview to a TV news channel on Monday (Nov 17), Judeo had suggested that money was needed to fight the campaign of conversion being undertaken by "international forces".

"You need an army to stop conversions and you need provisions for that army. There might be obstacles and the time is limited. Suppose someone gives these provisions, this is misunderstood. We have to keep all these possibilities in mind. Who is going to foot the bill?" he said.

He said during the pre-Independence days "when Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh were fighting, then Birla used to go to Mahatma Gandhi...and from where he used to bring…" He did not elaborate.

PTI