EC serves showcause notice to Pragya Thakur on remarks against Hemant Karkare

Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal on Friday, Thakur, who is also BJP Lok Sabha candidate from the constituency, stirred a controversy saying Maharashtra ATS chief Karkare died because she had cursed him “tera sarvanash hoga”.

However, she retracted the remarks after they drew all-round flak resulting in BJP too distancing itself saying it was her “personal statement” and that Karkare was a “martyr”.  “I felt that the enemies of the country were being benefited… therefore, I take back my statement and apologise for it. It was my personal pain,” she had told ANI. A complaint was also filed with the Election Commission in Madhya Pradesh in this case on Friday.

District Election Officer Sudam Khade Saturday said, “We are going to send the ARO report to the EC,” adding that the event organiser had been given permission on certain conditions as the Model Code of Conduct was in place during the elections. As per the conditions set before giving permission to the event, use of objectionable language to defame a particular person had been prohibited, another EC official said.

Currently out on bail, Thakur (48) has been discharged by a court on charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. However, she is still facing trial under other criminal provisions, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. It is pertinent to mention here that Karkare was leading the probe into this 2008 case which claimed six persons were killed and injured 101.