Pralhad Joshi: Congress put Sadhvi behind bars only to target BJP

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur

Hubballi (Karnataka): Senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday that Congress put Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur behind bars only to target Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological organisations.

Speaking to ANI, Joshi said, "Only to target the BJP and its ideological organisations, they (Congress) blamed Sadhvi and put her behind bars for years. Subsequently, the court discharged her. "

Joshi, who is seeking a re-election from Dharwad constituency for the fourth time, said that "coining of the term 'Hindu terrorism' is the greatest setback for India". "Hindus cannot become terrorists; they did not know that, or they may know it for political reasons," he said.

BJP has fielded Thakur against Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. Thakur is among the seven accused facing trial in Malegaon blast case, wherein six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon on September 29, 2008.

When asked about Congress accusations of BJP trying to communalise the elections by bringing in Pragya Thakur, Joshi put the blame back on Congress saying, "Where is the communalisation? If at all somebody has communalised the issue of terrorism, it is the Congress party. When we were trying to isolate Pakistan internationally, they indirectly supported Pakistan. How can such a party say anything about BJP. Sadhvi has not been sentenced by court, how can they say this when they are having an alliance with the Muslim League?"

"We have got all the right to say what nationalism is. How the issue of terrorism was being treated earlier and how it is being treated now, we have to explain to people. We are not politicising it," he explained.

Joshi added that Congress is trying to use everything for its benefit, but when the party fails to do so, they blame the BJP. "If Rahul Gandhi had not questioned 56-inch chest, probably we would not have touched the subject."

The BJP leader also attacked the Congress party on its NYAY scheme, which assures minimum income of Rs 6,000 per month or Rs 72,000 a year to 20 per cent of India's poorest if it emerges victorious in the Lok Sabha elections.

"It (NYAY) is worthy of ridicule. Indira Gandhi ji had said 'Garibi Hatao'. What do you mean by that? If it had been done successfully, why is NYAY needed today? 'Roti Kapda Makaan' was their slogan," he said.

"Congress party is not for 'work' but only for 'slogan'. Is it possible to give that much money when they themselves claim that the economy is not good?" Joshi asked.

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