BJP pulls up Sadhvi Pragya over marak shakti remark

The Bhopal MP has reportedly been asked not to speak in public

Four days after BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur claimed that the Opposition had used 'marak shakti' (killing power) to harm BJP leaders, the saffron party has decided to come down on the leader.

The BJP has reportedly asked the Bhopal MP to not speak in public, according to an India Today report.

"While I was contesting (Lok Sabha) elections, a Maharaj ji told me that bad times are upon us and Opposition is up to something using some 'marak shakti' against BJP," the BJP MP had said.

The party has also asked the MP BJP leadership to apprise the central leadership about any untoward comment passed by Thakur henceforth, the report said.

Controversy's child, Thakur was addressing a condolence meeting at the state BJP office held for late Union Minister Arun Jaitley and former Madhya Pradesh CM Babulal Gaur who passed away on August 24 and August 20 respectively.

"But now, when I see our top leaders Sushma ji, Babulal ji, Jaitley ji leaving us one by one after undergoing pain, I am forced to think, wasn't it (what Maharaj said) right? It is true that our leadership is leaving us untimely," the vociferous leader added.

This isn't the first time that the leader has left the party red-faced with her remarks.

In April this year, Thakur found herself in the eye of the storm following her comments on slain IPS officer Hemant Karkare. She claimed that the former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad Chief died during the 2008 Mumbai attacks because she had "cursed" him for torturing her during the 2008 Malegaon blasts case trial which had implicated her.

The party had then distanced itself from Thakur saying that it was her "personal view" made "due to years of physical and mental torture".

(With inputs from PTI)