Pragya Thakur’s Candidature an Answer to Cong: PM Modi in Defence

BJP has fielded Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh as its candidate from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(Photo: PTI)

Defending Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decision to field Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it is a symbolic move to answer Congress for describing Hindu civilisation as ‘terrorist’.

In an interview to Times Now on Friday, 19 April, PM Modi said that the talk about fielding faces accused of terrorism should cease. He then defended the move by raking Rajiv Gandhi’s prime ministership in 1984 after the anti-Sikh riots.

“When in 1984 Indira Gandhi died, her son said when a big tree falls the earth shakes. Thereafter, there were thousands of Sikhs who were massacred. Was it not terror? Was it not terror unleashed by a few people? Despite that, he was made PM and the neutral media never asked a question like it is doing now,” PM Modi said.

‘This Talk Should End’

Modi was asked that fielding of a terror accused by his party, out on bail, reflects contradiction as people say Pragya Singh Thakur is a divisive figure who talks about Hindu-Muslim only.

Modi reasoned BJP’s decision of fielding Pragya with Congress’ decision to award Kamal Nath with chief ministership of Madhya Pradesh in December 2018.

Leveraging Thakur’s candidature on Congress’ chequered past, PM Modi said:

“Those who were identified by eyewitnesses, those who lead murderous mobs were made MPs, some were made cabinet minister, one was recently made the CM of Madhya Pradesh.”

Narendra Modi, PM to Times Now

“Those who are facing such serious charges were never questioned. Therefore, this talk should end,” PM Modi said, indicating that conversation around Thakur’s candidature should be laid to rest.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi who are contesting the elections from Amethi and Raebareli respectively, PM Modi went to on to say:

“Those who have been convicted by the courts people go and hug them, meet them in jail, meet them when they are shifted to hospitals, can they preach? Should the Amethi and Rae Bareli candidates who are out on bail not be questioned? But a Bhopal BJP candidate is out on bail and is fighting elections, there is a huge hue and cry.”

He added that no one has objected to the torture Thakur – a “saintly” woman had to endure.

“A woman, a sadhvi was tortured like this, no one raised a finger.”

‘Fielding Thakur a Symbolic Gesture, an Answer to Congress’

He further labeled backlash from Congress on Thakur’s candidature as “modus operandi to build a narrative for propaganda”.

“I have lived in Gujarat, I understand the modus operandi of Congress. Like a film script, the Congress works to build a narrative. They will pick something, add something to it, add a villain to the story to build a false script for propaganda,” he said.

In a bid to criticise Congress’ criticism as propaganda, PM Modi went on to say that the party had built a narrative to allege that “Judge Loya was killed”.

“In Gujarat, whatever encounters used to take place, they would prepare a script accordingly. In Judge Loya case, he died a natural death but the same modus operandi was used to build a narrative that he was killed. The same modus operandi was followed to build a false narrative using videos around EVMs,” the prime minister said.

He summarised the party’s move to field Thakur as a symbolic gesture meant to answer Congress – which will cost them.

“This is their modus operandi. Samjhauta verdict came, what happened. They defamed a 5,000-year-old culture that believes in Vasudev Kutukbakam (World is one). They called them terrorists. To answer them all, this is a symbol and it will cost Congress,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pragya Thakur retracted her statement on Friday evening. “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.

(With inputs from Times Now)