Pragya Singh Thakur: Hemant Karkare tortured me

Bhopal: Malegaon blast accused and BJP’s Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Pragya Singh Thakur has claimed police officer Hemant Karkare died during the 26/11 attacks as she “cursed” him for torturing her.

“This was his (Karkare's) cunningness. It was treason. It was against religion. He used to ask all kinds of questions...Why did it happen? Why did that happen? I said, I don't know, God knows. So he asked whether he has to approach God to know all this. 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. A little over a month later 'sutak' (ritual observed after death of a family member) was going to start...just over a month later, he was shot dead by terrorists and the inauspicious period ended,” she said.

She tendered the apology for her “emotionally-charged” remarks, at a public meeting in Berasia area, 45 km from the district headquarters,” her aide Upma Singh said. “Pragya ji said if her remarks have hurt someone, she was sorry for it,” he said.

“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.

The Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must apologise for Pragya Thakurs remarks. While Congress condemned the remarks describing it an ‘insult’ to the martyr who laid his life while fighting the terrorists, Indian Police Service officers’ association too took strong exception to it saying martyrs’ should be respected by one and all. “Karkare was martyred while fighting terrorists. The comment (by Pragya) is an insult to the martyr. It demonstrates double standard of BJP”, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said while reacting to comments by Pragya.

Finding itself in the dock on the issue, BJP issued a statement here on Friday, saying that the party’s stand is very clear that it is our duty to give highest regard to martyrs in the country. Late Karkare gained martyrdom while fighting the terrorists.

“Pragya’s comment may be her emotional outburst in the backdrop of her inhuman torture in police custody”, the statement said.

The BJP distanced itself from the controversial comment saying it was her personal view which she might have made “due to years of physical and mental torture”.

“BJP considers him a martyr. This is Sadhvi Pragya's personal statement which she might have given because of the mental & physical torture she had faced,” the party said.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the remarks were an insult to every soldier who has sacrificed his life for the country while fighting terrorism.

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed Pragya.

“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”.