Won't Campaign For Pragya Singh Thakur, Says BJP's Muslim Face in Madhya Pradesh
Fatima Rasool Siddique said Pragya Singh Thakur's "communal and obnoxious" comments damaged Shivraj Singh Chouhan's image among Muslims.
Bhopal, April 26: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pragya Singh Thakur, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Bhopal seat, is not getting full support from her own party. Fatima Rasool Siddique, a Muslim face of the BJP in Bhopal, on Thursday, announced that she won't be campaigning for Pragya Singh Thakur, saying her "communal and obnoxious" comments damaged Shivraj Singh Chouhan's image among Muslims.
"I won't campaign for her as she has made statements like waging a 'dharmyudh' (crusade). Her controversial statement against former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, a martyr who laid down his life fighting terrorists in the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, has also hurt me badly," Siddique, who unsuccessfully contested Assembly polls from the Bhopal North seat in November last year, said. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur Seen Dancing on a Sindhi Song in Bhopal With Other Women, Watch Video.
"Pragya's statements about 'dharmyudh' and against Karkare have not gone down well in my community also. Her statements have damaged the image of Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has good connect with Muslims," said the daughter of Rasool Ahmed Siddique, a Congress leader and former Cabinet minister in the state. Asked whether she was going to join her father's party Congress, Siddique replied in the negative. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Apologises, Calls 26/11 Mumbai Attacks Hero Hemant Karkare a ‘Martyr’.
Siddique, a dentistry student, is a new entrant in politics. She joined the BJP on November 8 last year and hours later she was nominated the party's candidate from the Bhopal North assembly constituency. Though a fairly good number of Muslim women campaigned for Siddique, she lost by 34,857 votes to Congress candidate Arif Aqueel.
Aqueel is now the lone minister from the minority community in the state's Congress government headed by Kamal Nath. Thakur is pitted against Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh in the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, which the BJP has been winning since 1989.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 26, 2019 05:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).