: Congress on Rajnath Singh panel with controversial BJP MP

Congress has attacked the Modi government over Sadhvi Pragya Thakur’s nomination in a defence ministry panel led by Rajnath Singh.

India Today Web DeskNew DelhiNovember 21, 2019UPDATED: November 21, 2019 13:22 IST

Sadhvi Pragya Thakur has been made part of a panel of the defence ministry. (File photo)

Congress has launched a fierce attack on the Modi government for nominating controversial BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur to a defence ministry panel led by Rajnath Singh.

An accused in the Malegaon blast case, Sadhvi Pragya has been made a part of the 21-member consultative committee of the defence ministry along with senior members of the Parliament.

Congress leaders have hit out at the Narendra Modi government saying it was ironical that a terror accused has been given place in a defence panel instead of opting for clean leaders.

Congress has said, “Pragya Thakur, a terror accused & Godse fanatic has been nominated by the BJP govt. to be a member of the Parliamentary Panel on Defence. This move is an insult to our nation’s defence forces, to our nation’s esteemed parliamentarians & to every Indian.”

Congress✔@INCIndia

Pragya Thakur, a terror accused & Godse fanatic has been nominated by the BJP govt. to be a member of the Parliamentary Panel on Defence. This move is an insult to our nation’s defence forces, to our nation’s esteemed parliamentarians & to every Indian.

Congress Secretary Pranav Jha told IANS, “It is ironical that such a person has been named in the Defence panel by the government.” Jha said such people are not given places in other parties but the BJP has brought her in.

“Bringing such people, against whom the cases are going in court is not good for democracy. Everything is not guided by the Constitution but some decisions are taken on moral grounds too,” the Congress leader said.

“The BJP had won 303 seats and they have multiple options and many of whom are clean, with no cases against them. They should have been nominated in the Defence panel,” Jha added.

Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Jaiveer Shergill took to Twitter to slam the move and said, “Pragya Thakur is nominated to “Parliamentary Panel on Defence” – BJP Govt just gave the world a new model of “Nationalism” by appointing an undertrial in a bomb blast case as a consultant on defence issues-but don’t worry rest is fine, Bharat Mata Ki Jai! (sic)”

The Congress attack came after the government nominated Thakur in the 21-member parliamentary consultative committee of the Ministry of Defence led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The government nominated Thakur in the panel on October 31 this year.

Thakur, who defeated Congress heavyweight Digvijaya Singh in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year stirred many a controversy in the run up to Lok Sabha elections.

Sadhvi Pragya landed in a major controversy when she called Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, a patriot.

The BJP had issued a show cause notice to Pragya over the remarks.

Thakur had also stirred controversy by saying that then Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 terror attack because of her “curse”.