BJP veteran Sharma pitches for Sadhvi Pragya against Digvijay Singh from Bhopal

BHOPAL: Even as the BJP is making sincere efforts to select a winning candidate for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, BJP veteran and former Rajya Sabha member Raghunandan Sharma has backed the name of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, to challenge Congress stalwart and old rival Digvijaya Singh.


The BJP leader said when the party can give ticket to actress Jaya Prada five hours after her joining the BJP, then Sadhvi Pragya is a die-hard nationalist following the same ideology.

"A person who coined the words Hindu Atankvad (Hindu terrorism) or Bhagwa Atankvad (saffron terrorism) could never be a pro-Hindu or a nationalist. In such an election, a true nationalist like Pragya, who dedicated herself for the ideology, if joins the fray, is a good thing", Sharma told TOI.

Raising questions, the BJP veteran said when the party can offer actress Jaya Prada a Lok Sabha ticket after only five hours of her joining the party, in such case, it should invite Pragya to convince her fight this election without any delay. He also accepted that the election could be polarised.

"If there is a buzz, party should consider, contact and ask Pragya to contest from Bhopal. It's a city of intellectuals, who are die-hard nationalist by nature. In such case polarisation among nationalist and separatist forces is obvious. I do not believe polarisation on the basis of religion but, for the country", said Sharma.

The BJP leader's statement came at time when Sadhvi Pragya had disclosed to TOI on making her mind to accept the challenge against Digvijay Singh in Bhopal.

On March 24, Pragya had said, "If it’s about taking on someone who calls Hindus terrorists and speaks against nation, I am ready. His (Digvijaya) statements give strength to enemy countries. It’s not my wish, but I think people want me to enter politics. And, if the Sangthan wants me to contest, I am ready.”

On Wednesday, Digvijaya Singh launched his poll campaign in Bhopal in the presence of senior leaders and party workers and claimed himself as a `Hindu'. He rejected that his father late Balbhadra Singh contested on the ticket of RSS but, as an Independent.

Raghunandan Sharma, however, dubbed Digvijaya as anti-Hindu and anti-nationalist. He recalled Digvijaya's statements alleging the Congress leader's love for separatists. Sharma said Digivijaya's giving honour to terrorists by adding `ji' to their name, raising doubts over police action in Batala House encounter and seeking evidences on action by the Indian Army will not be accepted by the voters of Bhopal.

"One can know why Pakistan is seeking evidences of air strikes by India but, if the same thing is done by a former general secretary of Congress, it shows a resemblance in the ideas of Pakistan and Congress leader who is seeking blessings of Bhopal voters, which cannot be accepted by nationalists", he said.

The BJP leader observed that Digvijaya's candidature for Bhopal was well planned by the Congress leadership to get rid of him with the help of public. There is a good chance for the saffron party to get Digvijaya defeated at the hands of voters in Bhopal, which would also serve the well decided purpose of the Congress, said Sharma.