Pragya Thakur was banned from campaigning for three days by the Election Commission
Highlights
- Election body had banned Pragya Thakur from campaigning for three days
- The ban was imposed over her speech on the Babri Masjid demolition
- She has been asked to explain why she defied the poll body's 72-hour ban
A notice has been sent to Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur, the BJP candidate from Bhopal, over a complaint that she continued her campaign during a three-day ban by the Election Commission for her speech on the Babri Masjid demolition, sources said.
Pragya Thakur has been asked to explain why she defied the Election Commission's 72-hour ban that began from Thursday morning, they said.
The Election Commission had said her comment - that she had climbed atop the mosque and broken it, and she was "proud" of it - violated the poll code against appealing to caste and communal feelings.
Pragya Thakur had said she respects the Commission's decision.
In an interview to television channel TV9 earlier this month, the right-wing activist said she was among the people who demolished the Babri Masjid more than 25 years ago.
"We had removed a blot from the country. We had gone to demolish the structure. I feel extremely proud that God gave me this opportunity and I could do that. We will make sure a Ram temple is constructed at that site," Pragya Thakur had said.
In her response to the notice from the Election Commission, the right-wing activist had admitted that she made the remark, but added that it was taken out of context.
A police case has also been filed against the 49-year-old, who is an accused in the Malegaon blasts that killed six people and injured more than 100 in 2008.
The Congress's Digvijaya Singh is contesting from the Bhopal seat, where voting will be held on Monday on the sixth of the seven-phase national election.