Ex-MP Pragya Thakur Sparks Outrage With Calls For Violence At Bhopal Event

Former BJP MP from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, has triggered a fresh storm with a series of incendiary remarks at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) event in Bhopal's Chhola Mandir area. Addressing the Durga Vahini's Path Sanchalan ceremony, Thakur openly urged Hindu women to arm themselves, sharpen their weapons, and be prepared to "cut enemies in half" if they crossed their homes' thresholds.

In a provocative speech, Thakur told the gathering of women and girls, "Yes, I said you should keep weapons in your homes. Keep them sharp. When our daughters are abducted and their bodies thrown on the road, it causes immense pain. To release that pain, when the enemy comes, they should be cut in half."

The former MP, recently acquitted in the Malegaon blast case, went further to call for economic and social boycotts of minorities. She followed it up with a statement on non-Hindus, saying that any non-Hindu found selling prasad near temples should be beaten up. 

Thakur also accused minorities of practicing "love jihad" and alleged, "they trap Hindu women by deceit, even exploiting familial relationships such as Raksha Bandhan. She exhorted women to take a pledge: "Don't let non-believers enter your homes. We will neither eat nor buy anything from them. These small pledges are very big for protecting society."

Her speech also included political barbs. Without naming Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, Thakur called him a man of "poor character and conduct" who "sent his clothes to Paris for washing" and "betrayed the country after independence."

The comments have drawn sharp political reactions. Leader of the Opposition in Madhya Pradesh, Umang Singhar, called Thakur's statements "objectionable" and accused the BJP of stoking communal divisions to divert attention from core issues.

"The BJP accuses others of playing Hindu-Muslim politics, but its own leaders make such provocative statements from public platforms. Pragya Thakur is a repeat offender. At a time when Madhya Pradesh is grappling with unemployment, inflation, and recruitment scams, the BJP uses such rhetoric to mislead the public," Singhar said.