BJP had no one with 'clean image' to field from Bhopal LS seat: Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Saturday alleged that the BJP had no one with a "clean image" and so it had to field Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat.

Thakur is out on bail in the 2008 blast case and she is under fire for claiming that IPS officer Hemant Karkare was killed during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as she had "cursed" him for "torturing" her.

Thakur, who is pitted against senior Congress leader Digvijiya Singh from the Bhopal seat, has apologised for her remarks.

"She has filed her nomination against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.The BJP did not have any other candidate so it has fielded a 'gunda mavali' (goon) who had indulged in spreading terror," Baghel said while addressing an election rally at Chhattisgarh's Tundra here.

Baghel was campaigning for Congress candidate from the Janjgir-Champa Lok Sabha constituency Ravi Bharadwaj.

On Thakur's remark on Karkare, he said, "She had said that Karkare died because she cursed him.Terrorists had killed him. It seems she was hand in glove with the terrorists."