Hubbhalli( Karnataka): Senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday that Congress put Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur behind bars only to target Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological organisations.
"Only to target the BJP and its ideological organisations, they blamed Sadhvi and kept her behind the bars for years. Subsequently, the court discharged her," Joshi said
Joshi who is seeking a re-election from Dharwad constituency for the fourth time said that "coining the term 'Hindu terrorism' was the biggest setback for India". "Hindus cannot become terrorist, they did not know that, or they may know it for political reasons", he said.
BJP has fielded Thakur against veteran Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. Thakur is among seven accused facing trial in Malegaon blast case, wherein six people were killed and a dozen others injured when a bomb was placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra' Malegaon on September 29, 2008.
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When asked about Congress accusation of BJP trying to communalise the elections by bringing in Pragya Singh Thakur, Joshi put the blame back on Congress saying "where is the communalisation. If at all somebody has communalised the issue of terrorism, it is the Congress party. When we are trying to isolate Pakistan internationally, they indirectly supported Pakistan. How much can a party say anything about BJP. Sadhvi has not been sentenced by the court, how can they say this when they are having an alliance with the Muslim league."
"We have got all the right to say what nationalism is. How the issue of terrorism was being treated earlier and how it's being treated now, we have to explain to people. we are not politicising it, " he explained.
Joshi added that Congress is trying to use everything for is political gain but when the party fails to do so they blame the BJP." If Rahul Gandhi has not questioned 56-inch chest, probably we would not have touched the subject".
The BJP leader also attacked the Congress Party on NYAY Scheme, which assures minimum income of Rs 6,000 per month or Rs 72,000 a year to 20% of India's poorest if it emerges victorious in the Lok Sabha Elections.
"NYAY is worthy of ridicule. Indira Gandhi had said ' Garibi Hatao. What do you mean by that. Had it been done successfully, why was NYAY needed today. 'Roti Kapda Makaan was their slogan,'' he said.
" Congress party is not for works but for the slogan. Is it possible to give such huge cash when they themselves claim that the economy is not good?" Joshi said.
