Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, the BJP MP from Bhopal, was reprimanded by the party's working president JP Nadda on Monday over her recent controversial statement regarding cleaning of toilets. The party sees her remarks as an affront to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega drive of Swachh Bharat (Clean India).
Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and is out on bail, is in the habit of being in the news for wrong reasons. She was ticked off by PM Modi earlier for praising Nathuram Godse.
On Monday, she was summoned by the party leadership to explain her comments – "I have not become an MP to clean toilets" – that have sparked an uproar.
Nadda, party sources said, categorically told Thakur that the leadership was very unhappy with her comments made in front of BJP workers at Sehore in Madhya Pradesh and that she should be extra cautious in future before uttering such reckless remarks that go against party's principles. While addressing party workers in the meeting, Thakur had said an MP's work is to ensure development work in consultation with MLAs, councillors and public representatives.
Past Imperfect
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| In May, Thakur was condemned by PM Modi for her statement lauding Naturam Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi |
| Thakur had called Godse a “patriot”, inviting severe censure from many politicians and people |
"That is why keep it in mind that we are not here to clean drains. Is it clear to you? We are definitely not here to clean your toilets. For the work which we have been elected, we will do it with honesty. This is what I have told earlier and saying it today also and in future also I will stick to the same attitude," Thakur said.
Her comments, sources said, greatly annoyed party president Amit Shah and other senior central leaders, as they go diametrically against to what PM Modi is trying to teach by setting himself as an example.
The Prime Minister had started Clean India drive on a mission mode immediately after forming the government in 2014 and steered it enthusiastically throughout his first term, taking the broom himself on several occasions.
Pragya Thakur, who successfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal constituency, has been in news for making several controversial statements.
Apart from her Godse comment, Thakur had also claimed that former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack due to her "curse" as she was tortured "by police in custody". She was forced to tender an apology.
With inputs from agencies
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