FIR filed against Pragya Thakur over her remark: Police

An FIR has been registered against BJP Lok Sabha MP Pragya Thakur in connection with her alleged hate speech in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, police said on Wednesday.

The FIR under sections 153A, 153B, 268, 295A, 298, 504 and 508 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) was filed on the basis of a complaint by HS Sundaresh, president of Shivamogga District Congress Committee.

Also read: Jairam Ramesh to move Supreme Court against BJP's Pragya Thakur over 'hate speech'

On Sunday, Thakur had stoked controversy when she said that Hindus have the right to respond to those who attack them and called on the community to at least keep sharp knives in their homes.

Asked why no FIR was registered earlier, Shivamogga superintendent of police GK Mithun Kumar said: “To file an FIR, we need the signature of the complainant. The person has to be physically present to sign it. This is why we couldn’t lodge an FIR earlier based on online complaints.”

Earlier, Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Saket Gokhale and political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla had filed complaints against the BJP lawmaker over her speech.