Pragya Singh Thakur ‘proud’ of role in Babri, EC issues notice

Bhopal: The BJP’s controversial Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, on Sunday received a rap on her knuckles by the party leadership here for making controversial statements and landing her party in trouble.

Pragya Thakur, who had earlier triggered nationwide outrage for her “offensive” remarks against slain IPS officer Hemant Karkare, martyred by terrorists in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, and landed the saffron party in acute embarrassment, was asked to exercise restraint by BJP vice-president and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

On Sunday, the Election Commission issued another showcause notice to her for saying she was “proud” of her participation in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992. Ms Thakur, accused in the Malegaon blasts, said this while speaking to a television channel.

After getting the EC showcause notice, Ms Thakur said she stood by her remark and the notice would be replied to in accordance with the law. An EC official said on Sunday that Ms Thakur has to reply to the notice in one day. The notice was issued by Bhopal district election officer and collector Sudam Khade on Saturday night.

In her television interaction, Ms Thakur said: “Ram Mandir hum banayenge aur bhavya banayenge, hum todne gaye the dhancha, maine chadhkar toda tha dhancha, iss par mujhe bhayankar garv hai. Mujhe Ishwar ne shakti di thi humne desh ka kalank mitaya hai” (A grand Ram temple will be built. I had gone to demolish the structure and had climbed atop it to break the structure. I am tremendously proud of it. God gave me strength to wipe off a blot on this country).

The EC notice said it was a violation of Chapter 4 of the model code of conduct, relating to maintenance of harmony between castes, communities, religious and linguistic groups. Reacting to the notice, Ms Thakur told reporters on Sunday: “I am not backtracking. The structure was demolished and a grand temple will be constructed. Nobody can stop me from constructing a grand temple.”

Meanwhile, she was summoned to the state party headquarters here on Sunday, where the state leadership advised her to behave responsibly while making statements. “She was cautioned that she was landing herself as well as the party in trouble with her irresponsible utterances”, a senior party leader who did not want to be identified told this newspaper.

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