Pragya Thakur nominated to Parliamentary panel on defence

New Delhi, Nov 21: Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur has been nominated to the Ministry of Defence's Parliamentary Consultative Committee, according to reports on Thursday.

Malegaon blasts accused Pragya will be part of the 21-member consultative committee, which is headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh.

Pragya is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bombing case. She is facing trial in a National Investigation Agency court, facing multiple charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In April 2017, The Bombay High Court granted her bail on health grounds after the NIA dropped charges against her under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

The Bhopal MP has often hit headlines with her controversial statements. She stirred up a controversy when she claimed that Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was a patriot.

"Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she had said.

Later, she issued an apology soon after facing backlash for her statement.

Reacting to the statement PM Modi had said "I will never be able to forgive Pragya Thakur for insulting Mahatma Gandhi."

Though Modi had defended BJP's decision to field Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. She was an answer to those who branded 5,000 years of civilisation as terrorism, PM said.

"They defamed a 5000-old culture that believes in Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam. They called them terrorists. To answer them all, this is a symbol and it will cost Congress," Modi had said.

Pragya defeated former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections