A day after controversial BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur said she was not elected as a lawmaker to clean up toilets but to tackle more important tasks, clearly showing her disregard for Prime Minister Narendra Modi-promoted “Swachchh Abhiyan”, party’s working president JP Nadda pulled her up for her disparaging remarks.
Nadda summoned her to the BJP headquarters and conveyed to her the party leadership’s displeasure with her comments made at Sehore in MP on Sunday, sources said. Pragya was asked to refrain from making statements that go against the party’s programmes and ideology, they said.
The BJP MP refused to speak to reporters as she left the party office.
Addressing a meeting of BJP workers in Madhya Pradesh, Pragya, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case who is currently out on bail, said the job of an MP is to work with MLAs, corporators and public representatives to ensure development.
“So keep this in mind... We are not here for cleaning a drain. Is it clear? We are absolutely not (here) for cleaning your toilets. The work which we are supposed to do and elected for, we will do it honestly. This we had said in the past, saying it today and stick to it in future as well,” she said.
Pragya had won her maiden election from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat by defeating Congress leader Digvijay Singh.
During the Lok Sabha poll campaign, she had hailed Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse as a “patriot”.
She was forced to apologise after he comments triggered an outrage, and Modi went on to say that he would not be able to forgive her despite the apology. She was issued a show-cause notice as well.
Pragya had also claimed that Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks due to her “curse” as she was “tortured” by police in custody. Even then she was forced to tender an apology.
Modi did not acknowledge Pragya’s greetings when the former was meeting newly elected NDA MPs in the Central Hall after the Lok Sabha victory of the party in May.