I take my words back, says Sadhvi Pragya after outrage over remarks on 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare

Bhopal: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has cornered herself from the controversial remark she made against Mumbai terror attack martyr Hemant Karkare and said that whatever she said was her "personal pain" but her words have "strengthened the enemies and therefore, she is withdrawing her statement." 

"I felt that the enemies of the country were being benefited from it, therefore I take back my statement and apologise for it, it was my personal pain," Sadhvi Pragya said. 

"He died from the bullets of terrorists from the enemy country, he is certainly a martyr," she added.

Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP LS candidate from Bhopal, on her statement on Mumbai ATS Chief late Hemant Karkare: He (Hemant Karkare) died from the bullets of terrorists from the enemy country, he is certainly a martyr. https://t.co/q3wz0t2FWK — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019

The development comes just a few hours after the BJP released a statement saying Sadhvi Pragya's comment is her "personal opinion."

"BJP considers him a martyr. This is Sadhvi Pragya's personal statement which she might have given because of the mental and physical torture she had faced," said BJP. 

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) also took cognisance of the matter and ordered an enquiry. 

Sadhvi Pragya had said that Hemant Karkare was killed during the 26/11 terror attack because she had "cursed" him. Her statement created a huge outrage and she was severely criticised.

"Hemant Karkare was asked to let me go if there is no evidence (against me). He (Karkare) said that he will bring evidence but will not leave me. I told him -- You will be ruined," she had said.

#WATCH Pragya Singh Thakur:Maine kaha tera (Mumbai ATS chief late Hemant Karkare) sarvanash hoga.Theek sava mahine mein sutak lagta hai. Jis din main gayi thi us din iske sutak lag gaya tha.Aur theek sava mahine mein jis din atankwadiyon ne isko maara, us din uska anth hua (18.4) pic.twitter.com/COqhEW2Bnc — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019

The former ATS chief was killed along with two other senior police officers while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.

Sadhvi Pragya is an accused in the 2009 Malegaon blast, in which six people were killed and several others were injured. Karkare was the first officer to investigate the blast.

The newly-inducted BJP member was arrested in 2008 but was given a clean chit by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2015 due to lack of evidence. She was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in 2017 but still faces a number of charges.

In the Lok Sabha election 2019, the BJP has fielded Sadhvi Pragya from Bhopal against Congress' Digvijaya Singh.