Days after Pragya Singh Thakur called 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare a “traitor”, the Election Commission on Saturday, 20 April, sent her a notice for poll code violation, and sought an explanation for her remark.
According to an EC official, use of objectionable language to defame a particular person is prohibited under the Model Code of Conduct.
The Malegaon blast accused and the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, Thakur had said Karkare was killed by terrorists because she “cursed” him for putting her behind the bars.
Her statement was met with a massive backlash, following which Thakur took back her words the former ATS chief, who was killed in action.
“I felt that the enemies of the country were benefitting from what I said, and so I take back my statement and apologise for it. It was my personal pain,” Thakur said on Friday, 19 April.
‘Deshdrohi’
Addressing the BJP workers in Bhopal, Thakur had said she had cursed Karkare for allegedly framing her, and that was what led to his killing by terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attack.
“The investigating team called Hemant Karkare to Mumbai. I was in the Mumbai jail back then. They said that when there’s no evidence against Pragya, she should be released. They told him that if there is no evidence against me, it is illegal to keep me in jail. He (Karkare) said that he will do anything, get evidence from somewhere, but not release me. This was his kuteelta (cunningness), he was a traitor, this was against the religion,” she said.
“I had told him that you will be destroyed. There is sutak (mourning period) in 1.25 months. Exactly after 1.25 months, when terrorists killed him, the sutak ended,” she said.
“In Lord Ram’s time, Ravana was destroyed by sanyasis. Kans was also destroyed by the curse of sanyasis. When in 2008, innocent sanyasis were jailed, I had cursed that this government will be destroyed and today you see what has happened,” she added.
However, taking a U-turn, Thakur on Friday said, “He (Hemant Karkare) died from the bullets of terrorists from the enemy country, he is certainly a martyr.”
‘Will BJP Take Action?’ Asks Twitterati
Many, including noted journalists and activists, took to Twitter to slam Thakur’s comments and asked if the BJP will take action against her.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)