Hemant Karkare’s deputy Riyaz Deshmukh to contest against Sadhvi Pragya

Riyaz Deshmukh (ANI Photo)

Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and Hemant Karkare’s deputy Riyaz Deshmukh has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate from Bhopal. The officer will take on BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. Deshmukh was upset with some of Pragya’s statements on Karkare where she called the martyred officer a ‘deshdrohi’.

Explaining why he decided to contest against Thakur, Deshmukh told ANI: “When she (Sadhvi) called Hemant Karkare ‘deshdrohi’, at that moment I decided that I would contest against her. Karkare Sahab was my guru.”

The retired police officer lashed out at the BJP for fielding a candidate who has serious charges against her. He said: “One one hand, the party (BJP) asks for a vote in the name of martyrs, on the other hand, their candidate insults a martyr. The public knows it all. The BJP has failed on all their promises.”

Last week, Thakur had said that Karkare died because she had cursed him. Her statement sparked controversy with the opposition demanding an apology from the BJP and Thakur. The Indian Police Service Association also condemned her ‘insulting’ statement.

In a statement, the IPS (Central) Association said: “Ashok Chakra awardee late Hemant Karkare, IPS, made the supreme sacrifice fighting terrorists. Those of us in uniform condemn the insulting statement made by a candidate and demand that sacrifices of all our martyrs be respected.”

Facing flak from all the corners, Thakur withdrew her statement and apologised saying she was taking back her statements as she felt the enemies of the nation were being benefited from it.

Sadhvi Pragya is an accused in Malegaon blast case and currently out on bail. However, the BJP claims that all the charges against her are manufactured.

The saffron party fielded Thakur to challenge senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh who was at the forefront in ‘peddling Hindu Terror theory’.