Here's What Union Minister Piyush Goyal Had To Say About Sadhvi Pragya's Remarks On 26/11 Martyr Hemant Karkare

Just a day after Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP's candidate contesting from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency of Madhya Pradesh and an accused in Malegaon blast case was served notice by the Election commission over her remarks on 26/11 terror attack martyr Hemant Karkare, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that she has taken back her statements and it was not the party's view.

Union Minister Goyal said: "He (Hemant Karkare) was a martyr. He has done supreme sacrifice for the nation. Whatever her (Sadhvi Pragya) remarks were, she must have said due to her personal pains, but the remark on him was her mistake. But what I think is neither is it party's stand, nor is herself endorses such comments. She has taken back her remark." 

On April 19, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur had stoked a controversy when she was recounting her interaction with Hemant Karkare, who was investigating the Malegaon blast case. She said:

"The officer appointed by the Security Council for investigating the case (Malegaon blasts) was Hemant Karkare. He (Karkare) was told that 'if you don't have any evidence against her, then leave Sadhvi'. It is against the law to hold a person without evidence. He had told that I will do anything and get evidence from anywhere, but will not spare Sadhvi. This was his craftiness. This was treason. It was against duty." said Thakur, while addressing a gathering.

READ: Here's What Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Had To Say About Sadhvi Pragya's Remarks On 26/11 Martyr Hemant Karkare

She further continued to make a shocking remark:

"He asked me many questions regarding the incident. I said I don't know, God knows. And he replied that for knowing the answer, do I need to go and ask God? And I said, if needed, you should go and visit him. You will find it difficult to believe, when I cursed him that 'you will be annihilated', and just over a month later (which is the period of mourning when a person dies), he was killed by terrorists, marking his end." said Thakur.

Following the incident, the poll body took suo moto cognisance of her statements and on Saturday issued a notice to Thakur to explain her comment.  

"We took suo motu cognisance of the statement and sought a report from the assistant returning officer (ARO) on the matter. We got the report this morning and we are going to issue notices, which are returnable within 24 hours, to the organiser of the programme and the person who made the statement," District Election Officer and Bhopal Collector Sudam Khade.

READ: Controversial: Sadhvi Pragya Targets 26/11 Martyr Hemant Karkare, Says He Died Due To Her 'annihilation' Curse After He Questioned Her In The Malegaon Blasts Case