2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur, who has stoked controversy for her remarks on the Babri Masjid demolition and 26/11 hero Hemant Karkare, recently found support in several BJP leaders.
BJP President Amit Shah, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have defended her candidature and said that it was an answer to the Congress’ “Hindu terror” remark.
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said that the BJP takes full responsibility of fielding Thakur and that the party is “proud of her.”
Addressing a rally in Bhopal on Tuesday, 24 April, Chouhan defended Thakur and said, “You (Congress) committed three crimes. You defamed saffron, you meted out inhumane torture to a daughter of India and misused laws,” reported ANI.
Thakur is in the eye of a storm for controversial statements: one, that her “curse” led to former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare's death in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and two, that she was proud to have participated in the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
A Hindu Can Never Be a Terrorist: Amit Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday, 23 April, said that the party's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur was framed in false cases by those who had coined the term “Hindu terror” and indulged in vote bank politics.
“A Hindu can never be a terrorist. They have fabricated false cases to frame her (Pragya Thakur). It was a conspiracy for vote bank politics.”Amit Shah, BJP President
Defending her candidature, Shah said, “The allegations against her are false and the real culprits in the Malegaon blast case have evaded the law. It (fielding her) is absolutely a right decision. The allegations against her are baseless. Nothing against her has been proved.”
Lashing out at the Congress’ Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Digvijaya Singh for coining the term “Hindu terror,” Shah said it was done with an eye on a particular vote bank.
Pragya’s Candidature a Reply to ‘Hindu Terror’: Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also defended Pragya Thakur’s candidature in Bhopal and said that the move was to counter those who had coined the term “Hindu terror.”
“If you are trying to insult Hindus by coining terms like Hindu terror, then this is a reply to the same. You troubled her (Thakur) so she will only give reply.”Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister to Hindustan Times
“We are relying on investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA). Their investigation says there is no evidence against her,” Fadnavis said in an interview with Hindustan Times. The party took a decision to filed her based on NIA’s investigation, he added.
However, he added that Thakur should not have made the remarks against former Maharasthra anti-terrorist squad chief Hemant Karkare.
(With inputs from ANI and Hindustan Times.)
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