‘Gau-mutra to cure COVID’ to ‘Godse remark’: Controversies that led Pragya Thakur ‘out’ from BJP's candidate list

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: The BJP has released its initial list of 24 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, showcasing prominent names such as former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Meanwhile, the party's announcement, released on Saturday, introduced a total of 195 candidates. Changes saw Bhopal MP being replaced by Alok Sharma, a former mayor. 

Sitting MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who is facing accusations in the , was omitted from the Bhopal constituency. Thakur, recognized for her controversial remarks, had previously triumphed over Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh in the 2019 elections by a margin of 3.65 lakh votes. Notably, candidates for five seats -- Indore, Chhindwara, Balaghat, Ujjain, and Dhar -- are yet to be announced. Despite achieving electoral success, Thakur's time in office has been overshadowed by controversies.

Before the 2019 elections, she provoked outrage by drawing comparisons between , an Ashok Chakra awardee and former Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief, and mythological figures Ravan and Kans. Her comments regarding Karkare's death during the Mumbai terror attacks intensified the controversy, resulting in a show-cause notice from the Election Commission of India (ECI). Also, the BJP distanced itself from her.

Soon after, a video surfaced in which Thakur is heard uttering curses directed at Karkare during a public gathering in Bhopal. In the video, Thakur can be heard claiming that she had cursed Karkare while the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was questioning her.

Pragya Singh Thakur is quoted as saying, “Maine kaha tera sarvanash hoga. Theek sava mahine mein sutak lagta hain. Jis din main gayi thi theek usi