Ashok Chakra awardee late Sri Hemant Karkare, IPS made the supreme sacrifice fighting terrorists. Those of us in un… https://t.co/Qmdw7a3m1l — IPS Association (@IPS_Association) 1555669103000

NEW DELHI: IPS Association on Friday condemned the "insulting" remarks made by BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur against former Mumbai ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad) chief Hemant Karkare ."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 tweeted without naming the BJP leader.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.The association's statement came after Sadhvi Pragya, an accused in the Malegaon blast, cursed Karkare for treating her "very badly" while she was in custody."Hemant Karkare falsely implicated me. He died of his karma. I told him, he will be destroyed. I told him his entire dynasty will be erased," Pragya said."Maine kaha tera (Karkare) sarvanash hoga," she said.Karkare was martyred along with two other senior police officers while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.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.The BJP on Wednesday fielded Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal seat, where she is set to have a direct contest with Congress heavyweight and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh.