Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur should curse Masood Azhar and Dawood Ibrahim just like she did to 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare: Congress leader

Congress also compared Sadhvi to a 'witch' over her statement that "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

Ratlam: Congress on Thursday lashed out heavily at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur over her controversial remarks on Mumbai terror attack martyr Hemant Karkare. 

The party also compared Sadhvi to a 'witch' over her statement that "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

"Sadhvi should curse Masood Azhar and Dawood Ibrahim just like she did to 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare," Congress leader Paras Sakchela said at a meeting organised in Ratlam on Thursday night, where he was also accompanied by Kantilal Bhuria

 "Will worship Sadhvi if she curses Masood Azhar and Dawood Ibrahim," he added. 

On Thursday, Thakur courted controversy for saying, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt' (patriot), he is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."

She said this in response to a question over actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that "free India's first extremist was a Hindu", a reference to Godse.

However, after severe backlash, she apologised for it and withdrew the statement.

Meanwhile, last month, she said that Hemant Karkare was killed during Mumbai terror attacks because she had cursed him.

"Hemant Karkare was asked to let me go if there is no evidence (against me). He (Karkare) said that he will bring evidence but will not leave me. I told him -- You will be ruined," she had said. 

Thakur also alleged that the late ATS chief wanted to declare her a terrorist and accused him of abusing and torturing her.

Karkare was killed along with two other senior police officers while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.

Sadhvi is facing trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. She was arrested in 2008 but was given a clean chit by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2015 due to lack of evidence. However, she still faces a number of charges.

She was inducted in the BJP in April and is fighting the election from Bhopal against Congress' Digvijaya Singh.