Sadhvi's ' atonement "for hurting countrymen

Bhopal’s BJP candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur has announced "atonement" by keeping silence for “21 Prahars” for hurting the sentiments of the countrymen with her words. Each Prahar comprises two hours, which means she would observe silence for 42 hours.

The controversial Sadhvi tweeted that after the election process is over, it is time for meditation. If during the campaigning, my words hurt the countrymen, I apologise for that and am observing silence for 21 Prahar.

Her decision for "atonement" has followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s severe snub that he would never forgive Pragya Singh Thakur for calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathu Ram Godse a patriot.

Last week, the Hindu extremist had said Godse was and will be a patriot, in response to a question about her view on Kamal Haasan’s observation that Nathuram Godse was the first terrorist of independent India and he was a Hindu.

The Prime Minister criticised Pragya Thakur’s comment by describing it horribly wrong and deserving of severe loathing. The BJP, while distancing itself from the comment, issued a notice to Pragya Singh and forced her to apologise.

Earlier, Pragya had courted controversy by claiming that the 26/11 Mumbai martyr Hemant Karkare was killed as she had cursed him for torturing her in jail in connection with the Malegaon blast case.

She had also earned the Election Commission’s ire by boasting that she participated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992. She was banned from campaigning for 72 hours for the statement.