BJP creating communal divide by giving Bhopal ticket to Pragya Thakur: Kamal Nath

The BJP's Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur has no record of political or public service and was nominated just to create a communal divide, the only card left with the party, says Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has been invoking nationalistic issues during the election season to divert people's attention from its failures, Nath said.

" basically the BJP is trying to create a communal divide because that's the only card they have left. But what the BJP does not realise is that the people of the country are intelligent enough to know that this communal card is for political purposes, he told PTI in an interview.

Thakur, who was recently nominated by the BJP to contest against the Congress' Digvijay Singh, is out on bail in the Malegaon blast case of 2008.

She is under fire for saying Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare died during the 26/11 terror attacks because she cursed him for "torturing" her in custody when he probed the Malegaon blast. She retracted the statement after it drew severe criticism.

Hitting out at Thakur, Nath said, "They could not find any other candidate."
"Pragya Thakur joined the BJP a day before (her nomination as BJP's Bhopal LS seat candidate) and she has no record of any political or public service and they put her there. Isn't it obvious why they put her there?"
Questioned on his statement, Nath said, "I have no anger, I have no wrath. I will be pursuing the truth."