That Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur (also known as Sadhvi Pragya) is no stranger to controversy is hardly news now. Pragya, known for her explosive utterances, has stayed in the headlines from the time she was nominated to fight the Lok Sabha polls.
On Monday, Pragya gave a seemingly 'supernatural' twist to her political utterances. Pragya claimed opposition parties were using “deadly powers” against BJP leaders, referring to the deaths of several party leaders recently. Pragya was speaking at a meeting in Bhopal to pay tribute to two BJP leaders who died in the past week—former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Babulal Gaur and former finance minister Arun Jaitley.
#WATCH Pragya Thakur,BJP MP: Once a Maharaj ji told me that bad times are upon us&opposition is upto something, using some 'marak shakti' against BJP.I later forgot what he said,but now when I see our top leaders leaving us one by one,I am forced to think,wasn't Maharaj ji right? pic.twitter.com/ZeYHkacFJj
— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2019
Speaking in Hindi, Pragya claimed that when she was campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, she was warned by a maharaj (saint or holy man) that “she should be careful and reduce her appearances as the opposition was using deadly powers against the BJP and its leaders”.
She said the maharaj warned the opposition wanted to bring harm on the BJP and in particular “the qualified and hard-working” people leading the BJP. The maharaj claimed Pragya herself was a target, she said. Even though the maharaj asked her to be careful, Pragya said she had forgotten about his warnings.
Pragya said she remembered the maharaj's warnings after the deaths of Sushma Swaraj, Gaur and Arun Jaitley. Pragya wondered whether the warnings were true. “The truth is our leadership is constantly going from our midst. They are dying in an untimely manner”.
Sushma Swaraj died on August 6, Gaur died on August 21 and Arun Jaitley died on August 24.
This is not the first time Pragya Thakur has referred to the supernatural. Soon after her nomination as the BJP candidate for Bhopal, Pragya, who had been arrested for her alleged involvement in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, had declared decorated Mumbai police officer Hemant Karkare had died after she cursed him. Karkare had headed the team that arrested Pragya. Karkare was killed in the Mumbai terror attack on November 2008.
Pragya soon backtracked and apologised for the remark, with the BJP attributing the remarks to mental strain and torture.
