Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Sunday reacted to the party’s decision of not fielding her in the April-May Lok Sabha polls. She said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not have been “pleased” with her choice of words in the past and had told her she “will not be forgiven”.

Speaking to India Today TV about the BJP’s decision, she said, “I did not seek a ticket before, and I am not seeking one now. The use of certain words in my previous statements might not have pleased Prime Minister Modi, and he had expressed that I won’t be forgiven. However, I had already apologised to him earlier.”

Thakur’s name was missing from BJP’s first list of 195 candidates for the general elections released on Saturday.

The sitting MP, who is also an accused in the Malegaon blast case, has been replaced by Alok Sharma, a former Mayor.

On Sunday, Pragya Thakur expressed her acceptance of the party’s decision, emphasising that focus should not be on why the ticket was denied.

Notably, PM Modi had said in 2019 that he was not happy with Pragya Thakur’s earlier remarks against Mahatma Gandhi.

Thakur had stoked a controversy in May 2019 for lauding Nathuram Godse as a ‘true patriot’.

PM Modi had said that he would never forgive Sadhvi Pragya for calling Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin a true patriot. “I will never be able to forgive Pragya Thakur for insulting Mahatma Gandhi,” the Prime Minister had said.

Speaking about her controversial remarks, she said, “I speak the truth, but the media has portrayed it as controversial statements, giving unnecessary hype to the issues”.

The Bhopal MP also clarified that she had no plans to quit the BJP. “I will remain available wherever the organisation needs me, and I will fulfill any responsibility given to me,” she said.