Pragya Thakur goes temple-hopping after EC imposes 72-hour ban on campaigning for Lok Sabha polls

Bhopal: Malegaon blast accused and BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur went on a temple run on Thursday, a day after the Election Commission imposed a 72-hour campaigning ban on her. Thakur reached the Bhawani Mata Temple at Peer Gate in Bhopal in the morning and after performing aarti, sang bhajans (devotional songs) in the presence of BJP leaders. [caption id=“attachment_2860800” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Pragya Thakur. PTI[/caption] She then proceeded to the Gufa Mandir at Lal Ghati and also to a nearby gaushala (cow shelter), where she offered fodder to the cows and calves. Thakur appeared to be following in the steps of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who too spent time temple-hopping following a 72-hour ban for his “Ali-versus-Bajrang Bali” remark last month. The EC ban followed complaints against Thakur for her offensive remark against 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks martyr Hemant Karkare and her boast that she had participated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid on 6 December, 1992. While imposing the ban on her, the Commission had strongly condemned her remarks and warned her not to repeat the “misconduct”. The EC had said though Thakur had apologised for her statement against the IPS officer, it found the statement to be unwarranted. Pragya Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case of September 2008, got herself embroiled in a series of controversies after being declared BJP’s candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. Her comment that former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed due to her curse, as he had tortured her in custody evoked sharp reactions. Thakur is pitted against Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal, where polling will be held on 12 May.