SHIVAMOGGA: Pragya Singh Thakur, the BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh and an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, stoked yet another controversy by asking Hindus to keep knives sharpened at home to use them against those who attack them. She was addressing a convention of Hindu Jagarana Vedike in Shivamogga on Sunday.
“Hindus have the right to respond to those who attack them and their dignity,” she said. “They have a tradition of jihad and if nothing else, they do love jihad. Even if they love, they do jihad in that. We (Hindus) too love, love the god ... a sanyasi loves his god,” she said.
Doubling down on bigotry
“A sanyasi says in this world, which is created by god, end all the oppressors and sinful, if not the true definition of love will not survive. Answer those involved in love jihad the same way. Protect your girls, teach them the right values,” BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur said. A video of her speech went viral on social media on Monday.
Referring to the killings of Hindu activists, including Bajrang Dal activist Harsha of Shivamogga, she said that everybody has the right to protect themselves. “If somebody barges into our house and attacks us, then it is our duty to retaliate,” she said.
“If you send your children to Christian missionary institutions, you will end up in old age homes. Your children will not be yours as they will become selfish. Teach your children culture at home so that they realise that this country is ours, this culture is ours and Hindutva is ours,” she said. “Do pujas at your home, read about dharma and shastra, and teach your children about it so that they know about our culture and values,” she added.
Stressing the need for population control, she said that people will be happy if ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is created. Later, she visited the house of Harsha and consoled his family members. She told reporters that every Hindu is standing behind Harsha’s family. “The families of the martyrs are not alone. I have come here to boost their morale. The government will ensure that terrorists are punished,” she said.
Karnataka Police has not yet initiated any action against Thakur over her latest inflammatory speech.
The lawmaker from Bhopal is no stranger to controversial speeches and is a serial offender, who, in the past lauded Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse, including the time she called him a 'patriot' on the floor of Lok Sabha in 2019.
(With inputs from online desk)