Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pragya Singh Thakur on Tuesday claimed the application seeking to bar her from contesting the Lok Sabha elections was frivolous and filed to gain publicity, reported PTI. She asked the special National Investigation Agency court to dismiss the plea.

Thakur, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, is the BJP’s candidate from Bhopal. At least six people were killed and 101 injured in the blasts on September 29, 2008.

The father of one of the blast victims had moved the special court last week. Petitioner Nisar Ahmed Sayyad Bilal claimed that Thakur had misled the court, since she has been campaigning for elections in the heat of summer despite being released on health grounds. “The applicant has deliberately chosen this court to ventilate misconceived and frivolous application for want of publicity and for extraneous reasons with political agenda,” Thakur said. She added that the application is also an attempt to “drag, demean and/or lower the dignity and reputation of the court”.

In her response, Thakur asked the court to quash the application and deal with the applicant sternly for filing a frivolous plea.

The NIA, in its response to the application, said the matter was related to elections and the Election Commission, reported ANI. “The NIA has no jurisdiction,” it added.