Bhopal: Malegaon blast accused and BJP’s Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur sparked off a controversy saying that Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she “cursed” him for torturing her.
However, Sadhvi withdrew her controversial remark apologizing for it as she drew backlash from various quarters. While BJP distanced itself, describing her comment as “personal”, the Congress demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise and take action against Sadhvi .Late IPS officer’s colleagues berated her for insulting him.
“I felt that the enemies of the country were being benefited from it (my remarks), so I take back my statement and apologise for it. It was my personal pain,” an aide quoted her as saying. She tendered the apology for her “emotionally-charged” remarks, at a public meeting in Berasia area, ” her aide Upma Singh said. “Pragya ji said if her remarks have hurt someone, she was sorry for it,” he said.
At a public meeting in Bhopal on late Thursday, Pragya, recounting the episode of her arrest and interrogation in the Malegaon case, said that he had cursed Karkare of his destruction. “Karkare asked me various questions and I replied ‘God knows’. He used to lose his temper and say, ‘To Kya mein bhagwan ke paas jakar punchoon’ (Should I go to God to get the answers?). I told him, definitely if you want it, you must go. It will be difficult for you to believe it and it will take time. I told him he will be destroyed,” she said. He tortured me and subjected me to harsh abuse which was unbearable. I told him he will be destroyed and he was cursed… within a month and a half he fell victim to the terrorists’ bullets.
Karkare was doing treachery and working against ‘Dharma’, alleged Pragya. The sadhvi said that the day on which she was arrested by Karkare was a ‘Sootak’ (ritual observed after death of a family member). The inauspicious period ‘Sootak’ ended after one-and-a-half months when he was killed by terrorists. Karkare was killed along with two other senior police officers while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.
Earlier, responding to the controversy generated over her statement, the sadhvi had said she speaks what her God wants her to speak and that she would give clarification on her statement at the right time. A day later she apologized for the statement and withdrew it back.
Pol parties condemn, bjp says personal views
Modi ji, only BJP leaders can commit the crime of declaring 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare a traitor –Randeep Surjewala
BJP’s decision to give Pragya a ticket underscored its ‘pretence’ of fighting terrorism. -Nawab Malik
Karkare was a dedicated officer. He laid down his life for the country and we should be proud of him. No one should comment on it. –digvijaya singh
Karkare died fighting people not very different from yourself. He didn’t die because a terror accused felt bad & cursed him. The man died fighting to protect our rights to vote & elect a government. -asaduddin owaisi
I think these are the worst days for our country that you are giving such a choice of candidates to the people who use such language against a martyr like Hemant Karkare –mehbooba mufti
Any bhakt will not get angry on this … This is the patriotism of BJP –arvind kejriwal
Those who died for the country, we consider them martyrs. We don’t raise questions on their martyrdom. –shahnawaz hussain
That woman cannot be sane. No person in their sane mind can think or talk like that, and that too about a police officer who sacrificed his life for the nation. –amarinder singh
EC takes cognizance of Sadhvi’s statement
Election Commission has taken suo moto cognizance of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur’s statement on martyred Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare. Chief Electoral Officer, VL Kantha Rao confirmed that the matter is being examined. “Our team at CEO office in Bhopal monitors all media (TV and other media) content 24X7. We have taken suo moto cognizance of the matter and are examining it,” said Rao. Bhopal collector and returning officer Sudam Khade has been asked to submit report in this matter.
