Lucknow: BSP president Mayawati Monday asked why has Election Commission not cancelled the nomination of Pragya Singh Thakur, the BJP candidate from Bhopal, despite she making controversial statements one after another.
"Malegaon blast case accused and BJP candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya is claiming that she is contesting a 'dharma yuddh'. This is the real face of BJP and RSS which is being exposed continuously. But why Commission is issuing only notices and has not cancelled the nomination of "BJP Ratna" Pragya Singh Thakur, Mayawati tweeted.
Read | PM Modi to visit Kannauj on April 27
"If the Election Commission is not able to work in an impartial manner to the satisfaction of people despite severe criticism in the media, it is an issue of grave concern for democracy," said Mayawati in her tweet.
Thakur is out on bail in the Malegaon blast case of 2008.
She is under fire for her statement that Hemant Karkare died in 26-11 terror attack because she had cursed him for "torturing" her in custody when he probed the Malegaon blast as Maharashtra police's Anti Terrorism Squad chief.
The BJP candidate from Bhopal retracted her statement a day after it drew severe criticism.
Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from here in the north
Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.
Read | Possible intel failures to be examined in Sri Lanka blasts
Thakur has also claimed that she was "proud" of her participation in the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to her.
On Monday in Kolkata, BJP national president Amit Shah defended his party's decision to field Thakur as its Lok Sabha candidate, saying allegations against her are false and the real culprits in the Malegaon blast case have evaded the law.
