Pragya Thakur's comment on Karkare her personal view, Karkare a martyr: BJP

In the wake of BJP candidate Sadhiv Pragya Singh Thakur's controversial comment on Hemant Karkare, the IPS officer, who was martyred during the 26/11 attacks, BJP responded to it on Friday saying that the comment was personal in nature as she had faced mental and physical torture while she was in the Jail. Pragya Thakur commented on the late IPS officer that he died because she cursed him.

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday distanced itself from Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's controversial comment that IPS officer Hemant Karkare died in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had cursed him, saying it was her personal view which she might have made "due to years of physical and mental torture". "The BJP believes that Karkare died while bravely fighting terrorists. The BJP has always considered him a martyr, " the party said in a damage-control exercise.

The party, which has fielded Malegaon blast accused Thakur from Bhopal in the Lok Sabha election, claimed she had suffered "physical and mental torture" for years in police custody that might have caused her to make such a statement. The comment is her "personal view", it added.

• BJP releases statement over the remarks made against late Hemant Karkare by BJP LS candidate for Bhopal, Pragya Thakur; says, "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" pic.twitter.com/CNr5n5EbDl

  — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  BJP releases statement over the remarks made against late Hemant Karkare by BJP LS candidate for Bhopal, Pragya Thakur; says, "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" pic.twitter.com/CNr5n5EbDl

  — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019

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  BJP releases statement over the remarks made against late Hemant Karkare by BJP LS candidate for Bhopal, Pragya Thakur; says, "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" pic.twitter.com/CNr5n5EbDl

  — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019

Karkare, who headed the Mumbai anti-terror squad, had died in the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal, Thakur claimed Karkare died as she "cursed" him for "torturing" her in custody.