BJP MP Pragya Thakur Sparks Row, Refuses To Call Martyred Cop Hemant Karkare 'A Patriot'

Speaking at a function in Bhopal, the Bhopal MP said Emergency-like situation prevailed when she was arrested in a "false case" in 2008.

Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur (File Photo)

Bhopal: BJP MP Pragya Thakur sparked a controversy on Friday after she raised questions on calling Bombay blast martyr Hemant Karkare a patriot. The Bhopal MP made serious allegations against the martyred cop and said that Hemant Karkare, the former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief who investigated the 2008 Malegaon blast case in which she is an accused, had tortured her former teacher during questioning.

 During a program organized in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, Pragya Thakur said that emergency-like situation prevailed when she was arrested in a "false case" in 2008, and alleged that Karkare, during his probe, "broke the fingers of my teacher who had taught me in Class eight asking what I used to do (as a student)."

She further alleged that it was done to "cook up a false case and gather false evidence", said Thakur, adding that true patriots do not call Karkare, a Maharashtra IPS officer who died in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, a patriot.

This is not the first time Thakur had sparked a controversy related to the martyred cop. In 2019, Thakur had said that Karkare died as she had "cursed" him for ill-treating her in custody but later apologised when the remark caused outrage.

Madhya Pradesh Congress President Arun Subhash Yadav hit back at Thakur's allegation and said, "Pragya Singh, who has tarnished the saffron clothes, real Hindutva and the national religion by her actions and practices, has also defamed the late Acharya who educated her today!"