Congress objects to Pragya Thakur on defence panel, calls it ‘unfortunate for the country’

The Congress on Thursday hit out at the Narendra Modi-led government after it nominated Malegaon blast accused and Bhopal BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur to the parliamentary consultative committee of the Ministry of Defence. The Congress said it was irony that such a person has been given place instead of opting for clean leaders from its flock.

Congress Secretary Pranav Jha said, "It is irony 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.

"It is unfortunate for the country that an MP accused of spreading terror has been nominated as member of a defence-related committee. Modi 'has not been able to forgive her from the heart' but she has been given the responsibility of important issues such as the country's defence.

"That is why if there is Modi, anything is possible," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a tweet in Hindi.

Congress remarks 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.

She had 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".