The Opposition parties in Maharashtra, the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, on Friday slammed Malegaon blast accused and Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate in Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, for her remarks against IPS officer Hemant Karkare, demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thakur said that she had cursed Hemant Karkare, ex-ATS chief for torturing her during the investigation into the 2008 case, and so he died. Later in the evening, she took back the statement.

Sachin Sawant, Congress spokesperson, said, “Pragya Singh Thakur is narrating the BJP’s script and her statements expose the BJP’s ideology. She has insulted Karkare. How can the BJP claim to work against terrorism when it appoints such people? How can they claim they are working for soldiers when martyrs are being insulted?”

“From a terror-case accused to a BJP candidate in five years, the BJP has truly progressed a lot. They don’t have the moral right to stay in power. Modi should apologise to the country for her statements,” Sawant said.

Nawab Malik, NCP spokesperson, said, “She is a terrorist and she’s now contesting the elections. The BJP asks votes to end terrorism and then gives ticket to Pragya Singh Thakur.”

Sawant said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray must clarify their stand.

“We, the Congress and its allies, stand with Karkare’s family,” he said.

Both Thackeray and Fadnavis haven’t commented on the issue.

First Published: Apr 20, 2019 05:49 IST