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AGGRESSIVE: Just before the Malegaon blasts, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur had allegedly told the agitators that Hindus must fight for their religion

Four days before the September 29 Malegaon blasts, which killed five Muslims and injured more than 70 people, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur (38), some saints and political leaders had gathered at Ram Ghat on the banks of the Kshipra river in Ujjain. The objective was to perform a pind daan for those who had died in the Amarnath Shrine Board land agitation.

The agitation was perhaps the turning point in Pragya's life. According to SR TV, Pragya, just days before the blasts, had told them that Hindus must fight for their religion. And police sources, tracking her background, claim she later held a secret meeting with fellow religionists in Ujjain. However, the police are yet to establish a connection between these developments and the Malegaon blasts.

A colleague of hers, who did not want to be named, said Pragya, who had started out as an active member of right-wing organisations, had "drifted towards more radical religionism".

Her father Dr Chandrapal Singh, who lives in Surat, however, refutes the allegations being levelled against her. "We will fight for our daughter. Politicians have framed my daughter for minority votes. She played no role in any terrorist activity."

Saffron rift

Meanwhile, Pragya's arrest has triggered political charges and counter-charges in the Sangh Parivar with BJP being accused of disowning her. Countering that, Suresh Bhatt, national general secretary, ABVP, said, "She was with us earlier, but we lost touch with her after she became a sadhvi. We have no connections with her anymore."

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Colleagues and family say Pragya was always aggressive. According to media reports, she would ride bikes and beat up men who harassed women.

According to her father, Pragya was an average student, but pursued higher studies vigorously. A post-graduate in History, Pragya joined Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP, in 1993 and was a member till 1997. She was also an active member of Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the VHP.

But Pragya had decided to opt for the spiritual path since her college days. So, in 1999, she turned into a sadhvi. In 2002, she founded the Jai Vande Mataram Jan Kalyan Samiti and is currently its national president.