After making a rather distasteful comment on Hemant Karkare, former Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief, who was martyred in action during the 2008 Mumbai attack, Sadhvi Pragya issued an apology on April 19. “I felt that the enemies of the country were being benefited from it, therefore I take back my statement and apologise for it, it was my personal pain,” she said. She further added that since Karkare was killed by terrorists from ‘the enemy country’, he was certainly a martyr.
BJP’s controversial candidate, Malegaon terror blast prime accused, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, earlier that day said that Karkare died since she had, Hemant Karkare, former Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief was killed because she had cursed him. “I told him, you will b destroyed, “Thakur had said.
Sadhvi Pragya’s ‘curse’
It may be noted that Karkare was probing the Malegaon blast case in which Sadhvi Pragya is a prime accused.
She had said, “I asked Hemant Karkare to let go of me if there is no proper evidence of my involvement. But Hemant Karkare said that he will bring evidence or even fabricate, if required, but will not leave me and he continues to torture me. I told him — You will perish,” Sadhvi Thakur is saying in a video released by news agency ANI
#WATCH Pragya Singh Thakur:Maine kaha tera (Mumbai ATS chief late Hemant Karkare) sarvanash hoga.Theek sava mahine mein sutak lagta hai. Jis din main gayi thi us din iske sutak lag gaya tha.Aur theek sava mahine mein jis din atankwadiyon ne isko maara, us din uska anth hua (18.4) pic.twitter.com/COqhEW2Bnc
— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019
BJP distances itself from the remark
Around the time Thakur made the remark, she drew massive flak from public and political leaders alike. Her remark further fanned the growing anger at her appointment as the BJP’s candidate from Bhopal. However, BJP was quick to distance itself from Thakur’s remark.
In a statement released, BJP said that Thakur’s remarks were that of her own and that the party did not subscribe to it. While BJP did say it was her personal remark, the party also added that it could be a result of the ‘torture’ she received while in jail.
BJP releases statement over the remarks made against late Hemant Karkare by BJP LS candidate for Bhopal, Pragya Thakur; says, "BJP considers him a martyr. This is Sadhvi Pragya’s personal statement which she might have given because of the mental & physical torture she had faced" pic.twitter.com/CNr5n5EbDl
— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019
Who is Sadhvi Pragya
Thakur is a self-proclaimed sadhvi, who is main accused of 2008 Malegaon Blast, which killed over six people and injured 100 other. She was arrested, but later was granted bail following the dropping of charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) section by the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, and her health was also considered a factor in granting her bail, as she was said to be suffering from breast cancer. While charges under the MCOCA section have been dropped, she is still facing trial under various section of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in Malegaon bombing case, as reported by India Today.
BJP has recently given her ticket to fight Election from Bhopal, against Digvijay Singh, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.
Who is Hemant Karkare
Hemant Karkare, a Maharashtra cader IPS of 1982 batch, who was former Mumbai ATS Chief, and was probing 2008 Malegaon blast, in which Sadhvi Pragya is accused.
He was killed in action during 2008 Mumbai Attack for which he received Ashok Chakra posthumously and Karkare’s led team in Mumbai ATS identified, for the first time, Hindutva outfits held responsible for terrorism in India, and political commentators began to call it Hindutva terror or Saffron terror.
Also Read: Malegaon Blast Accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Gets Ticket From BJP, To Contest From Bhopal
