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"Proud" Of Babri Masjid Demolition, Says BJP's Pragya Thakur, Gets Notice
ANC National Desk
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Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Pragya Thakur has been issued a notice -- her second in a day -- for her controversial remarks to a television channel in which she appeared to have supported the demolition of Babri Masjid.
In an interview to TV9, Pragya Thakur had said that she was among the people who demolished the Babri Majid structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Pragya Thakur, who is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, also went on to say that she was "proud" of her decision.
"We had removed a blot from the country.... we had gone to demolish the structure. I feel extremely proud that god gave me this opportunity and I could do that. We will make sure Ram Temple is constructed at that site," Pragya Thakur told TV9.
Three days ago, Pragya Thakur had claimed that 26/11 hero Hemant Karkare was killed in the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai after she "cursed" him for "torturing" her during investigation in the Malegaon blast case.
"Hemant Karkare was anti-national. He was dharam virudh (anti-religion). You won't believe this, but I said that he will be destroyed.
Soon after, terrorists killed him," the politician, who is contesting from Bhopal on a BJP ticket, said. She withdrew her controversial remark in the face of mounting criticism on Friday.
She was also served a notice from the poll body for the controversial remarks on Saturday. A former public prosecutor in the Malegaon blast case also slammed the BJP leader for her remarks.
Rohini Salian, the former public prosecutor in the case, clarified that the courts had found no evidence of torture on Pragya Thakur.
"These remarks (against Hemant Karkare) are unwarranted and uncalled for. I feel she is doing this for publicity as she is contesting the polls. Unwanted commentaries of this sort are atrocious," she said.
Pragya Thakur, 48, is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. She is currently out on bail in the case.
Six people died in the blast at Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in North Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008, with the ATS claiming that it was the work of a group of Hindu extremists.
The BJP on Wednesday announced Pragya Thakur's candidature from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, where she would be facing senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defended the party decision, saying the her candidature from Bhopal was a symbolic answer to all those who falsely labeled the rich Hindu civilization as "terrorist" and asserted that "this symbol will prove costly for the Congress".