Election Commission issues notice to Sadhvi Pragya over her remarks against 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare, seeks response within 24 hours

The Election Commission on Saturday issued a notice to BJP candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, over her remarks on 26/11 terror attack martyr Hemant Karkare. The EC has given a 24-hour deadline to the BJP leader to provide a response in the matter.

This development comes after the poll body took suo moto cognisance of the statements made by the newly-joined BJP leader.  

"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 told news agency PTI.

BJP Releases Statement On Sadhvi Pragya's Remarks On 26/11 Martyr Hemant Karkare, Calls It 'personal Remark Perhaps Given Because Of Mental & Physical Torture She Faced'. Read Here

BJP's candidate for Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya created massive controversy after she had insulted 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare, claiming he had died because of her 'curse'.

"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," Thakur has said.

Following severe backlash, Sadhvi Pragya apologised for the statement saying that the comments made by her were her personal views and did not reflect her party's position.

"It is my personal statement and I felt the country's enemies were happy about my statement and hence I have taken it back. I apologise that our enemies were happy about my statement. I accept that certainly (Karkare) he was martyred by the bullets of our enemies. If my statement is making our enemies happy then I want to take my statement back," she said.

Later on Friday, BJP released a statement over Sadhvi Pragya's comment, saying that it was her personal statement and the party considers Hemant Karkare a martyr.

"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 statement read.

Karkare was the principal investigator in the Malegaon blast case and had arrested 11 suspects in October 2008 which also included the then ABVP student leader Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. She was later released on bail due to claims of having contracted breast cancer in April 2017 while she still faces trial under other criminal provisions including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

WATCH | "I Apologise For My Personal Statement If It Made Country's Enemies Happy": Sadhvi Pragya Takes Back Her Comment Targeting 26/11 Martyr Hemant Karkare