Pragya Thakur has been a firm fixture in the headlines when it has come to unfiltered comments
BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, known for making controversial comments, on Wednesday called journalists in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district dishonest.
In a video, the first-time parliamentarian who defeated former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh in the general elections, can be seen telling journalists, laughing, "Listen to what I have to say in your praise. The entire media of Sehore is dishonest."
Another video of Pragya Thakur, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast, handing Rs 500 notes to people is being circulated as well.
Both the videos are from Sehore district, some part of which is a constituent of the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat.
Reacting sharply to Pragya Thakur's remarks, state Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said, "Her repeated remarks suggest that she has lost mental balance."
The BJP too distanced itself from Pragya Thakur's latest comments. "I don't know what she has said, but the party respects media's commitment, be it in Bhopal or elsewhere," state BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said.
Pragya Thakur, 49, has been a firm fixture in the headlines when it has come to unfiltered comments during her Lok Sabha campaign and after her election.
Last month, she had accused rival parties of using supernatural forces against the BJP. She alleged it is the reason why the BJP has lost top leaders in quick succession. Senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley died in August after battling illness for long. In July, senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit died.
Pragya Thakur was also recently ordered by the BJP to rein in her views after a huge backlash over her comment that Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse was a patriot.