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Barely two days before PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhopal on 31 May to address a ‘Women Empowerment Mega Conference’, two senior women BJP leaders made derogatory statements against Muslims

and Pakistan at an event in Indore. BJP MLA from Indore, Usha Thakur, and former Lok Sabha member from Bhopal, Pragya Thakur, insulted Muslims making objectionable comments on the community

during the ‘Pratap Parakram Yatra’ organised by the ‘Karni Sena’ to commemorate Maharana Pratap Jayanti on 29 May. Advertisement “….some people say that killing cows is their religion, and

killing those who do it is ours,” said Pragya Thakur (55), during her speech. Advertisement “Those with mixed Mughal blood are disloyal to the country,” she averred. “…..every Pakistani is a

terrorist,” declared Pragya Thakur, who is herself a prime accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case. At the same event, Usha Thakur told media persons that those who commit ‘love jihad’ must

be punished as per the Sharia law. “Their eyes should be gouged out and their hands should be chopped off,” said Usha Thakur, who was a cabinet minister for Culture in the previous BJP

government in MP. She further said that the house and property of those found guilty of committing ‘love jihad’ would be confiscated. On 29 September 2008, at least six Muslims were killed

and around 100 others were injured in a bomb blast near a Mosque at Malegaon in Maharashtra. During investigations, seven prime accused were listed, including Pragya Thakur, as invetigators

found that her bike was used to strap a bomb that exploded. Pragya Thakur was arrested in October 2008 on charges of terrorism. The investigation of the case was subsequently handed over to

the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011. During the hearing of the case in a Special NIA Court in Mumbai in April this year, the NIA sought the strictest punishment, which could also

be death penalty, for the accused, including Pragya Thakur. The court had reserved its final verdict for 8 May but it was subsequently deferred to 31 July. Advertisement