Bengaluru: Police in Shivamogga district of Karnataka finally filed an FIR against controversial BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur for her recent inflammatory remarks in which she had urged the Hindu community to 'keep your knives sharpened' if they wanted to "save their dignity".
The FIR was filed at Kote police station in Shivamogga city on the basis of complaints filed by Trinamool Congress and a political analyst against the firebrand BJP MP.
TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale and Tehseen Poonawalla, whose Twitter bio described him as a Venture Capitalist and political analyst and consultant, filed the complaints against Thakur with Shivamogga MP GK Mithun Kumar, the two said in separate tweets on Tuesday.
"Filed a complaint this morning with Karnataka Police & SP, Shivamogga regarding the communal hate speech made by BJP MP Pragya Thakur on Sun 25th December," Gokahle wrote on the microblogging site. He wanted the police to file an FIR "immediately.
In his complaint, Gokhale alleged Thakur's comments made at the event on Sunday "were designed" to incite communal disturbance between different religious communities and create ill-will between different communities on grounds of religion. Poonawalla, in his complaint, accused Thakur of making "a highly blasphemous and derogatory speech against the minority community" at the convention.
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He said the Shivamogga SP had assured him of action. "His office later called me up and confirmed receiving my complaint on the official handle!" he tweeted. Pragya Thakur had made the objectionable remarks at Hindu Jagarana Vedike's South Region annual convention organised at Shivamogga in Karnataka on December 25.
Thakur had said that Hindus have the right to respond to those who attack them and their dignity, as she spoke about the killing of Hindu activists. The MP representing Bhopal Parliamentary segment in Madhya Pradesh had also called on the community to at least keep the knives in their homes sharp, as everyone has the right to protect themselves.
"Love jihad, they have a tradition of jihad, if nothing they do love jihad. Even if they love they do jihad in that. We (Hindus) too love, love the god, a sanyasi loves his god," Thakur said.
"Sanyasi says in this world created by god, end all the oppressors and sinful, if not the true definition of love will not survive here. So answer those involved in Love Jihad the same way. Protect your girls, teach them the right values. Keep weapons in your homes, if nothing else, at least knives used to cut vegetables, sharp...Don't know what situation will arise when...Everyone has the right to self-protection. If someone infiltrates our house and attacks us, giving a befitting replay is our right," she said. Advising parents against educating their children in missionary institutions, Thakur said, "by doing it you will open the doors of old age homes for yourselves."
