Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Thakur, who recently hogged the limelight for a public spat on a SpiceJet flight, was on Wednesday met with slogans of “terrorist go back” at the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University.
Thakur, the BJP lawmaker from Bhopal, was at the Journalism and Communication campus of the university to meet two students — Shreya Pandey and Manu Sharma — who were protesting against their expulsion over alleged shortage of attendance.
Thakur’s attempts to meet the students, however, led to a face-off between BJP supporters and students, with slogans of “aatankvadi waapas jao” (terrorist go back) being raised. As the situation turned tense, police rushed to the spot to ensure calm was maintained.
#WATCH Bhopal: NSUI workers raise “aatankwadi wapas jayo” & “Pragya Thakur, go back” slogans at Makhanlal Chaturvedi University. BJP MP Pragya Thakur had gone there to meet female students who were sitting on a ‘dharna’ against the university, over attendance issue. (25.12.19) pic.twitter.com/HKU1tZqoBY
— ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2019
The Bhopal MP, who pipped Congress’s Digvijaya Singh the May elections, is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts. She is currently out on bail on health grounds and faces multiple charges under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act. The blasts is Maharashtra claimed the lives of six people and injured over 100.
Responding to the row, an irate Thakur said she would consult legal experts and take legal action against all those involved.
On Saturday, Thakur courted controversy when she held up a Delhi-Bhopal SpiceJet flight for about 45 minutes after refusing to surrender a pre-allotted seat due to rules that forbid wheelchair-bound passengers from occupying the emergency row. A video of her argument with angry flyers has since gone viral, with many applauding the passengers for confronting her.