Oppn resorting to 'maraak shakti' on BJP leaders: Pragya Thakur

BJP MP Pragya Thakur on Monday made a bizarre claim that the Opposition was resorting to sorcery on BJP leaders in the context of the passing away of some top leaders of the party.

Addressing a condolence meeting to pay tribute to senior party leaders Arun Jaitley and Babulal Gaur, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, she said, "During my election campaign, a maharaj ji (religious person) had told me that the Opposition is resorting to sorcery on your party (BJP) and its leaders. He said it is a very bad time and asked me to be cautious." (Mein jab chunaav lad rahi thi, tab ek Maharaj ji aaye the aur unhone kaha tha ki yeh bahut bura samay chal raha hai. Vipaksh ek maarak shakti ka prayog aapki party aur uske netao ke liye kar raha hai aur aise me aap savdhaan rahe.)

"I had forgotten about this thing after that. But now, when I see that leaders of our party are leaving us one by one, I recall what the Maharaj ji had said. Whether you believe it or not, this is true and it is happening," Pragya added. (Iske baad mein ye baat bhul gayi thi. Lekin ab jab mein yeh dekhti hu ki hamari party ke neta yu ek ke baad ek jaa rahe hai, toh mujhe unn Maharaj ji ki baat yaad aati hai. Bhale aap vishwaas kare ya naa kare, par yehi satya hai aur yeh ho raha hai.)

"I had forgotten about this thing after that. But now, when I see that leaders of our party are leaving us one by one, I recall what the Maharaj ji had said. Whether you believe it or not, this is true and it is happening," Pragya added.

After the meeting, the media tried to elicit some more comments but she refused to elaborate.

On August 24, Jaitley passed away in New Delhi at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) He was 66. Gaur, a former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister from August 2004 to November 2005, breathed his last at a Bhopal hospital on August 21. He was 89.

Earlier this month, former minister Sushma Swaraj had died. In the last one year, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had lost their lives.