The Election Commission (EC) Saturday issued a show-cause notice to Malegaon blast accused and BJP candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur over her remark about Hemant Karkare, the Maharashtra ATS chief who was killed in the 26/11 terror attack, an official said here.
Addressing BJP workers here Thursday night, Thakur hadclaimed that Karkare died during the attack as she had “cursed” himfor torturing her when he probed the blast case as chief of the Anti-TerrorismSquad.
However, after her remarks kicked up a row, she tendered anapology Friday. “We took suo motu cognisance of the statement and sought areport from the assistant returning officer (ARO) on the matter. We got thereport this morning and we have issued notice, which is returnable within 24hours, to the organiser of the programme and the person who made thestatement,” District Election Officer and Bhopal Collector Sudam Khadetold PTI. “We have also sent ARO report’s copy to the EC,” he said.
Asked about the point of serving the notice to her as shehas already tendered apology, Khade said, “Let the reply come, then wewill decide.” The organiser of the Thursday’s event had been givenpermission on certain conditions as the model code of conduct was in force, hesaid. One of the conditions was that “objectionable language to defameanyone” will not be used, he said.
Out on bail, Thakur (48) is facing trial under the UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Act in the blast case. The BJP Wednesday fielded herfrom the Bhopal seat, where she is set to have a direct contest with Congressheavyweight and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh. Herstatement against Karkare raised a political storm Friday with oppositionparties attacking the BJP and the Congress demanding an apology from PrimeMinister Narendra Modi.
The saffron party distanced itself from her comments, saying it was her “personal view” which she might have made “due to years of physical and mental torture”.