The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday defended fielding Malegaon blasts accused Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal, reported PTI. The party claimed it will be a fight against the Congress’ conspiracy to defame Hindu religion.
Thakur has been pitted against Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal. Singh is believed to be the person who coined the terms “Hindu terror” and “saffron terror”.
BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao claimed that the Congress’ conspiracy has been exposed as some of the charges against Thakur were dropped. In December 2017, a special court had discharged Thakur under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, the Arms Act and Sections 17, 20 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. She has been charged under Section 18 (conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. Currently, she is out on bail.
Rao also cited the instance of Hindutva activist Aseemanand who has been acquitted in the Samjhauta Express blast case.
“We are contesting this election in Bhopal as a fight against the Congress conspiracy to insult Hindu religion by linking it to terrorism,” Rao said during a press conference in Delhi. “Digvijaya Singh was the face of this conspiracy.” Rao claimed the conspiracy was the brainchild of Congress President Rahul Gandhi to appease the minority community.
BJP chief Amit Shah also claimed that the party had fielded Thakur against Digvijaya Singh because he was the person who coined the terms “Hindu terror” and “saffron terror”. At a rally in Odisha on Wednesday, Shah said the BJP had taken the matter to the “people court”.
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