IPS officers condemn Pragya Thakur's remark on Hemant Karkare
Mumbai, Apr 19: Associations of serving as well as former IPS officers on Friday condemned BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remark that then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare died in a terrorist attack because she had cursed him.
The Indian Police Service (Central) Association tweeted from its official handle, `IPS Association', that Karkare had made the "supreme sacrifice".
"Ashok Chakra awardee late Sri Hemant Karkare, IPS made the supreme sacrifice fighting terrorists. Those of us in uniform condemn the insulting statement made by a candidate and demand that sacrifices of all our martyrs be respected," the association said.
Julio Ribeiro, chairman of the Retired IPS Association, termed Thakur's statement as unfortunate.
Speaking to PTI, Ribeiro said, "Karkare was one of the finest IPS officers who worked almost everywhere in Maharashtra during his stint and there was not a single complaint against him. He would never do anything wrong.
"When other officers who have worked with Karkare would come across Pragya's remark, they will think what kind of people are being put up (as candidates)," he said.
Karkare, along with Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar, was among the police officers who were killed during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Before that, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad had cracked the September 2008 Malegaon blast case and arrested Thakur and others. Thakur later got bail, but she is still facing trial for the blast in which six persons were killed.
Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal from where the party has fielded her for the Lok Sabha poll -- she alleged that Karkare "tortured" her during the probe.
"I told him he will be destroyed. A little over a month later 'sutak' (ritual observed after death of a family member) was going to start...just over a month later, he was shot dead by terrorists and the inauspicious period ended," she said.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
