Former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, alleges torture by investigating officers and pressure to implicate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other prominent figures.
On April 8, relying on a compliance report submitted by National Investigation Agency on Thakur's medical condition, Special NIA Judge A K Lahoti granted her exemption from personal appearance but had asked the Bhopal Lok Sabha MP to remain present "without fail" before the court on April 20.
He, however, was quick to add that though "it is an internal matter of the BJP, but so far as country or ideology is concerned, there is no question of tolerating such things."
Thakur, while interacting with BJP workers on Sunday, said she has not been elected as Member of Parliament to clean toilets and drains.
'Mahatma Gandhi, even for those on the extreme Hindu Right who believe he founded the politics of Muslim 'appeasement', is suicidal to target,' asserts Shekhar Gupta.
The National Investigation Agency court also noted that the warrant was not served on Thakur and directed her to appear before it on March 27 for recording statement.
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Monday issued a bailable warrant against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, for failing to appear before it despite repeated warnings.
The Bhopal MP was pulled up and asked to refrain from making statements that go against the party's programmes and ideology
The Bhopal MP was was asked to move to a non-emergency row seat as she was on a wheelchair but she refused, causing the flight to delay of almost 45 minutes. Ultimately, she acquiesced and moved.
"You never know at which moment it can create problems for her. There is a problem with her L4 and L5 bones (vertebrae) as they got dislocated because ATS Maharashtra (investigators) threw her on the floor," Upma Thakur, Pragya Thakur's sister said.
"I am telling the person, whose sanskaras have got spoiled, to mend them. If you don't, your old age and next birth will also get spoiled because whenever anyone has clashed with the patriots, revolutionaries and above all saints, neither Ravana or Kansa survived, nor will the 'adharmi' or 'vidharmi' of the present be saved," Thakur said.
Thakur had on December 25 said Hindus have the right to respond to those who attack them and their dignity as she spoke about the killing of Hindu activists.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's first list of 24 candidates for Lok Sabha from Madhya Pradesh featured former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, while Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur was replaced by another candidate.
While the opposition members protested the interruption by Thakur, the BJP members persuaded her to sit down. After which, the Speaker said only A Raja's statement will be taken on record.
She has also demanded Rai's removal from the MLA's post. When contacted, Rai told media persons to themselves inquire into Thakur's allegations.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Friday raked up the issue of BJP leader Rajnath Singh's alleged meeting with 2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur.
Thakur sought exemption on the ground she is a Member of Parliament and has to attend the parliament on a day-to-day basis.
'Our deities are sanatan. If you insult them, we will also tell the truth. You tell our truth and it will be accepted by us. But why does it pain you when we tell the truth? This means somewhere history is dirty'
Thakur will be part of the 21-member committee headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Bhopal MP and BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur was on Saturday airlifted to Mumbai for treatment after she complained of uneasiness, her aide said.
'A member of the house referred to me as 'terrorist'. It is an attack on my dignity as a member of parliament'
Tamannaah Bhatia launched her jewellery line over the weekend, and invited friends over for the store's opening ceremony.
Thakur had appeared before the court in June last year after it ordered the seven accused to remain present once a week. She later sought exemption from appearance on various occasions since then.
The Bombay High Court on Friday rejected the plea of 2008 Malegaon blast case prime accused sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur for liberty observing that no case had been made out for granting bail.
Thakur, who is one of the seven accused in the case being probed by the NIA, appeared before the court on Monday. On Tuesday, Special Judge P R Sitre granted exemption to Thakur after her lawyer J P Mishra filed a written application, citing the MP's difficulty in travelling in Mumbai regularly due to health and security concerns.
Her lawyer told the court that she is suffering from high blood pressure and is unable to travel from Bhopal to Mumbai.
The EC takes action for her remarks on former anti-terror squad chief Hemant Karkare and Babri mosque demolition
In her petition filed before the high court, Thakur, who is currently lodged in the Byculla jail in Mumbai, said she is ready to incur the cost of both rail and/or air fare if there is any technical or procedural hitch in the same, as her safety and security is paramount.
Unfortunately for the prosecution, the chassis number that the investigation was relying on to implicate Pragya failed as the court said in its judgment that the chassis number of the two-wheeler had been wiped out and therefore it could not be connected to Pragya.
Former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit hailed a special court's order acquitting them in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Thakur said the acquittal was a win for "bhagwa" (saffron) and that God will punish those who tried to insult it. Purohit said he was implicated and will continue to serve the nation.
'Thakur will not attend meetings of BJP parliamentary party during the session'
The Congress on Monday sought to counter Rajnath Singh's attack on Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde over his 'Hindu terror' remarks asking whether the Bharatiya Janata Party chief had not gone to meet terror accused Pragya Singh Thakur in jail.
A detailed timeline of the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, from the initial explosion to the acquittal of all accused in 2025.
A special NIA court is likely to deliver its verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, which killed six persons and injured over 100. Seven accused, including Pragya Thakur and Prasad Purohit, face charges under UAPA and IPC.
The BJP will win the next Bengal assembly election, Thakur said.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha member from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur fainted during an event organised at party office on Tuesday to pay tributes to Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookherjee on his death anniversary.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Maharashtra government on a petition filed by Pragya Singh Thakur, prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, seeking bail.
Family members of victims of the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast have challenged the acquittal of the accused, including Pragya Singh Thakur and Prasad Purohit, in the Bombay High Court, citing faulty investigation and the nature of conspiracy.
For Malegaon's Muslims, Rahul Gandhi's remarks were simply one more indication that the party they once supported no longer cares for them, notes Jyoti Punwani.
A special court in India has reserved its verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, which killed six people and injured over 100. The trial began nearly 17 years after the bombing in the town of Malegaon, located in Maharashtra. The prosecution concluded its final arguments on Saturday, marking the end of the hearings. Seven individuals, including Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit and BJP leader Pragya Thakur, are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The verdict is expected to be delivered on May 8th.
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