Pragya: Poster girl of polarisation
Cries of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Har Har Modi’ rent the air thick as Pragya Singh Thakur aka Sadhvi Pragya’s shiny black four-wheeler slid through the narrow lanes of the old bus stand in Bhopal city.
A frenzied mob swarmed around and started squeezing close to the windows. Sitting on the front seat, a smiling Pragya rolled down the windows and greeted her supporters who started offering her flowers and garlands.
When an over-excited voter tried to garland her, the saffron-clad ascetic stopped him and said, “I will wear a garland around my neck after I win the election by defeating the deshdrohis (traitors).”
By deshdrohis, Pragya means people who sent her to jail on charges of terror activities, murder and conspiracy. Her arrest and incarceration, she believes, was a conspiracy of anti-nationals to undermine Hinduism. Her fight is against them.
“This is not a political fight. This is dharmyudh (crusade) — a battle between dharm and adharm (morals and immorals), Pragya told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview on her campaign trail on May 30.
“For 50 years, Congress has ruined the country. They undermined our religion, our culture and nationalism. They call Hindus and saints terrorists. My candidature is the answer to them.”
Ever since, the BJP announced that terror-accused Pragya Thakur Singh — who is out on bail — is their candidate in Bhopal to fight Congress veteran Digvijay Singh, she has been grabbing all the eyeballs in this Lok Sabha elections. Pragya, a tomboyish college girl, who was involved with the ABVP (student wing of the BJP) shot to notoriety in 2008 when Maharashtra ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) implicated her in the Malegaon blast case. A motorcycle registered in her name was used to plant bombs
near a mosque that killed nine and injured 100 people. Pragya has spent nine years in jail before she was released.
She recently ran into controversy by saying that the martyred ATS head Hemant Karkare died in the Mumbai terror attack because she “cursed him” for arresting and torturing her.
Now out on bail sighting health reasons, Pragya is in the fray as the new poster girl of BJP’s polarisation politics. And the Sadhvi is playing the Hindutva card with gung-ho.
“Should we forgive those who called Hindus terrorists? Can Hindus ever be terrorists? Kabhi nahi! (Never),” Pragya said addressing an animated crowd at the Ramanand Nagar Colony in old Bhopal.
The message was consistently similar at Vajpayee Colony in Lalghatti too, where she held a Chai
Pe Charcha (talk over tea) in the morning. A vote for Pragya is a vote for Hinduism and she should be voted to power if the enemies of the country have to be defeated.
“Those who want to rip apart our country, those who don’t respect our religion, our traditions and army… should be given a fitting reply. When we are back in power, we will assert that those who cannot respect and abide our religious traditions and customs, those cannot chant vande mataram... have no place in this country. When you go to polling booths, keep this in mind.”
Through her fiery speeches that are a potent combination of hyper-nationalism and Hindu pride, Pragya also plays the victim card to appeal to her vote bank.
Reiterating her Hindutva-first ideology, Pragya phoo-phooed the idea of saffron terror — a term coined by former Congress finance minister P. Chidambaram.
“Terrorism does not have any place in Hinduism. Hindus cannot be terrorists. I was arrested and tortured on false charges.
“What I suffered will stay with me for long. They tortured me in jail and broke my bones. I am still walking with other people’s help. But I am dedicated to my country and hence I am confident,” she said.
In the fight against nationals and anti-nationals, Pragya insisted the
gathbandhan (grand alliance) has come together to defeat Modi because “their mask has fallen off ”.
“It is a team of people who want to cut our country to pieces. But Modiji is in everyone’s heart and his work in the last five years speaks for itself.”
BJP’s communal plank
While the candidature of Sadhvi Pragya has created a furore among the opposition parties and the liberal brigade, BJP’s move to field her is expected to polarise voters in the saffron citadel. None other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi had defended her candidature saying she was nominated as a symbol to answer all those who demeaned a great civilisation. He said she will prove costly to the Congress.
BJP Mayor Alok Sharma said the fight in Bhopal is between two communities. “It is between the minority and majority.”
In a city where Hindus form 69 per cent and Muslims make 26 per cent of the population, Sadhvi’s Hindutva rabble-rousing is seemingly working against Digvijay Singh. On the ground, respondents said Pragya stands a better chance as she will consolidate Hindu votes in the Hindi heartland that has always been pro-BJP. The charges against her are apparently flying in the face of her Hindu fans.
“She is well-respected and a clean and pure Sadhvi. We will make her win with a vast majority and that will be a slap on the face for the enemies of Hinduism,” Kamala Mukul, a housewife said.
Mukund Agarwal, a lawyer said the Congress tried to trap Pragya on false charges and people at large believe that she is innocent. “She has been acquitted of all charges by NIA. She has all the right to contest the elections.”
The anti-incumbency towards ex-chief minister Shivraj Cahuhan that led to his drubbing in the state elections in 2018, many respondents said, will not reflect in the Digvijay Singh-Pragya contest.
Madhya Pradesh is among the three states where the BJP lost out to the Congress, though with a slight margin. But Modi’s popularity and a natural affinity for the saffron party will add edge to Pragya’s victory, according to the BJP camp.
“Some people are indeed unhappy about her candidature. But they will still vote for BJP because they want Modi to come back,” said Satish, a driver.
In a political campaign where polarisation is pitted against Congress’ development promises, the former has more chances of reaping dividends in Madhya Pradesh.