Indian Police Service (IPS) association on Friday condemned the statement made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bhopal candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.
“Ashok Chakra awardee late Sri Hemant Karkare, IPS made the supreme sacrifice fighting terrorists. Those of us in uniform condemn the insulting statement made by a candidate and demand that sacrifices of all our martyrs be respected,” IPS said in a statement.
Sadhvi while addressing a press conference in Bhopal on Thursday said that she had told Karkare that he will be finished and he was killed by terrorists in less than two months.
She said, “she cursed him and he died of his karma.”
Former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare died fighting terrorists during the November 26, 2008 attack in Mumbai.
The statement invited a sharp reaction from the Congress as Party president Rahul Gandhi said, “Hemant Karkare gave his life protecting India. He must be treated with respect.”
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also said, the remark was an insult to every soldier who has sacrificed his life for the country while fighting terrorism.
“Modi ji, only BJP leaders can commit the crime of declaring 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare a traitor,” Surjewala said.
BJP issued a statement stating that the party firmly believes that Hemant Karkare died while bravely fighting terrorists. ‘The BJP has always considered him a martyr’, the party said.
“As for Sadhvi Pragya’s statement, the BJP said that this is her personal opinion which she might have given because of the physical and mental torture she had faced.”
