Pragya Gets Fresh Notice for Alleged Violation of Campaign Ban

Thakur’s remark that she was “proud” of her participation in the demolition of Babri Masjid was objected against.

File image of BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur

(Photo: PTI)

The Bhopal District Election Officer on Sunday, 5 May, sent a notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bhopal Pragya Thakur over a complaint that she campaigned during the three-day period in which she was barred from doing so by the Election Commission, reported NDTV.

The poll body has sought a response from Pragya Thakur on why she defied the 72-hour ban, according to NDTV.

However, Thakur has denied allegations of violating the campaign ban, reported Hindustan Times.

The Congress had complained to the district returning officer Sudam Khade on Friday that despite the ban Thakur campaigned by singing bhajans in temples and serving cows.

Denying the allegations, the BJP candidate said the base of her life is temple, pooja and public welfare.

The Election Commission, on Wednesday, 1 May, had banned BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur from campaigning for 72 hours, starting 6 am on 2 May, for her remarks on former ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Babri mosque demolition.

(Photo: EC Statement)

(Photo: EC Statement)

(Photo: EC Statement)

The EC said though Pragya had apologised for her statement against the slain IPS officer, it found the statement to be “unwarranted.”

The Malegaon blast accused had said Karkare was killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack because of her "curse" as he "tortured" her when he probed the case as chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

She also had said that she was "proud" of her participation in the demolition of the Babri mosque at Ayodhya in 1992.

In her response to the show cause notice on Karkare, she had said that the idea was to tell people how she was tortured allegedly at the behest of the Congress-led UPA government. She said she holds the right to tell people what she had gone through.

On Babri mosque, she said she had no intentions of creating divide between people and her statement only reflects her inner voice.

The EC notice had said that Thakur's remark was a violation of chapter 4 of the Model Code of Conduct, which pertains to the maintenance of harmony between castes, communities, religious and linguistic groups.

Bhopal will vote in phase 6 of Lok Sabha elections on May 12. Pragya is pitted against Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

(With inputs from PTI, NDTV and Hindustan Times)