New Delhi: In its first list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha polls, the BJP flushed out prominent names including firebrand leader Pragya Singh Thakur and sitting MPs from Delhi, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri signalling the party's emphasis to shunt out leaders who came under scanner for their hate speeches and Islamophobic rants.
These leaders have courted controversies for their controversial remarks inside and outside Parliament. The saffron party's 'operation clean-up' sends a message that the party is more 'image conscious' than ever as it faces the might of INDIA alliance, a conglomeration of 31 political parties.
Another significant omission is Pragya Thakur, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bombings case. She has been replaced by Alok Sharma. Thakur, who was out on bail on health grounds, tried all means like playing kabaddi and attending garba nights to stay away from the controversy.
Her remarks on Nathuram Godse, whom she called 'patriot' also did not go down well with the BJP. Her conduct also earned censure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Five years down the line, she has lost her seat. Thakur's was in the eye of the storm over her remarks on former Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who died during the 2008 terror attacks.
According to Thakur, Karkare was killed because of her 'curse.' Another factor that went against the firebrand leader is that she was not active in her constituency. A prominent omission in the BJP list that surprised many was West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, a two-time MP and son of former Chief Minister, late Sahib Singh Verma.
Before the 2020 Delhi elections, Verma had made incendiary remarks during the Shaheen Bagh protest and said the demonstrators would be cleared in an hour if the BJP came to power in the national capital.
In 2022, he called for public boycott for Muslims. South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri was recently under scanner for hate remarks in the Parliament. During a discussion in Lok Sabha in September last year, he used Islamophobic slurs for Amroha MP Danish Ali.
Caught on camera, his outburst sparked a huge row. While the South Delhi MP later apologised, the BJP's first list shows it was not enough. The other prominent Delhi MPs who have been dropped include Meenakshi Lekhi and Harsh Vardhan.
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