HC junks Pragya's application on plea challenging her election

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday(December 13) dismissed BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur’s application questioning the maintainability of a petition challenging her election to the Lok Sabha from Bhopal.

The petition, filed by Bhopal-based journalist Rakesh Dixit, alleged that the controversial Hindutva leader, during campaigning, delivered speeches on religious lines, thus violating election norms.

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“The high court has dismissed the application filed by Pragya Thakur over maintainability of the election petition filed against her election to the Lok Sabha,” said advocate Arvind Shrivastava, who appeared for Dixit.

He said the court rejected the objection raised by Thakur, who had questioned the authenticity of videotapes of her alleged hate speeches submitted by the petitioner as evidence.

These speeches were given by Thakur during campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls in May 2019. The counsel said that Justice Vishal Dhagat delivered the order on the respondent’s (Thakur) application on Friday. The HC had on November 30 reserved its order on the BJP lawmaker’s application challenging maintainability of the petition.

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According to the petition, Thakur allegedly delivered speeches on religious lines, thus violating provisions of section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Dixit has filed the petition in his capacity as a voter registered in the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency.
Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, won from Bhopal in May, defeating Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh.