Bhopal, April 19: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Friday sparked a controversy by insulting 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare saying 'he died because he was cursed'. The BJP leader went on to further say that Karkare, who was the former Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief in the deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was a traitor. Sadhvi Pragya has always remained in the news for making controversial remarks. "Maine kaha tera (Mumbai ATS chief late Hemant Karkare) sarvanash hoga.Theek sava mahine mein sutak lagta hai. Jis din main gayi thi us din iske sutak lag gaya tha.Aur theek sava mahine mein jis din atankwadiyon ne isko maara, us din uska anth hua", she was quoted by ANI.

In her address, the BJP leader put allegations against Karkare, ex-chief of the Mumbai ATS and said, "He used to say, I will do anything, I will do anything to bring the evidence but I will not leave Sadhvi. He was cunning and traitor." Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur Breaks Down Recalling Her 'Torture' in Custody; Watch Video.

On April 17, the BJP fielded Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh from the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. Bhopal is set to go for polls in the sixth phase on May 12. The announcement was made hours after Sadhvi joined the BJP and said that she would "fight against those who are conspiring against the nation." Watch Video Here.

Here's a tweet:

At the time of her arrest, Sadhvi was charged with allegedly planning the Malegaon blasts and providing a two-wheeler that was used to plant a bomb. Accroding to reports, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Maharashtra has dropped the charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Sadhvi Pragya but framed charges under the provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against her.

The BJP leader had been associated with the RSS-linked youth outfit Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the 'Durga Vahini', the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 19, 2019 10:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).