Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Thakur has said that former Mumbai anti-terror squad chief Hemant Karkare died during the 26/11 attacks as a result of her “curse”, triggering angry reactions from political leaders and police officers who saw it as an insult to a martyr, before she announced she was taking “back” the statement.
Thakur, who joined the BJP on Wednesday and, hours later, was announced as the candidate from Bhopal, is among the main accused in a separate terror incident, the 2008 Malegaon blasts. Karkare, who was killed in the line of duty when terrorists from Pakistan laid siege to Mumbai on November 26, 2008, led the investigation into that case. He was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award in India.
“He would ask me how and why it [Malegaon blasts] happened and I used to reply that only God knows… He hurled abuses on me, harassed me, insulted me a lot,” she said while addressing party workers in Bhopal late on Thursday. “Maine kaha, tera sarvnash hoga [I said, may you perish],” she added.
As condemnation poured in, Thakur held a press conference on Friday evening and apologised. “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. “He [Karkare] died from the bullets of terrorists from the enemy country, he is certainly a martyr,” she added.
Earlier in the day, several Congress leaders criticised her remark while her own party distanced itself from it. “Hemant Karkare gave his life protecting India. He must be treated with respect,” said Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a tweet. “Modi ji, only BJP leaders can commit the crime of declaring 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare a traitor… Apologise to the country and take action against Pragya,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Twitter.
The party’s Bhopal candidate and Thakur’s competitor for the election, Digvijaya Singh, said the remark violated the Model Code of Conduct for elections. “Her comment is a violation of the Election Commission’s order of not making any political statements on the Army and martyrs. Hemant Karkare ji was an honest and committed officer who attained martyrdom to save the life of people in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks,” he said.
The BJP said Thakur’s views were her own. “The BJP believes that Karkare died while bravely fighting terrorists. The BJP has always considered him a martyr,” the party said in a statement. “As far as Sadhvi Pragya’s comments on this issue are concerned, those are her personal remarks which could have been made due to the years of physical and mental harassment that she has suffered,” it added.
The Malegaon blasts was among a clutch of terror incidents that had become a subject of political debate between the then Congress government and the BJP, with some ruling party members at the time referring to these as cases of “saffron terror”. The BJP has insisted that people like Thakur were implicated since the Congress wanted to malign right-wing Hindu groups.
“The probe committee called Karkare and told him, ‘if you don’t have any evidence against her, it is wrong and illegal to detain her’ but Karkare said ‘I would do anything, will make or get the evidence but I won’t let her go’,” Thakur said at the Thursday event, purportedly referring to Karkare’s investigation into her role.
Thakur, who is on bail for health reasons, has been indicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which deals with conspiracy to commit, advocate, incite or knowingly facilitate a terrorist act. A motorcycle on which the explosives were placed was traced back to her as the owner, according to the anti-terror squad charge sheet in the Malegaon case.
The Indian Police Service (IPS) Association, too, criticised Thakur’s remarks. “Ashok Chakra awardee late Sri Hemant Karkare, IPS, made the supreme sacrifice fighting terrorists. Those of us in uniform condemn the insulting statement made by a candidate and demand that sacrifices of all our martyrs be respected,” it said.
The Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer VL Kantha Rao said a complaint had been received in connection with Thakur’s remarks. “We are inquiring into the matter,” the officer added.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav too criticised Thakur’s comments.
