Mahayuti leaders welcome Malegaon blast verdict, slam Congress for coining term ‘saffron terror’

Maharashtra court acquits all accused in 2008 Malegaon blast, sparking political blame. BJP claims "saffron terrorism" narrative was a UPA conspiracy.

Mumbai: Leaders of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra welcomed a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court’s decision on Thursday to acquit all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis slamming the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for allegedly coining the term “saffron terrorism”.

As soon as the verdict was out, Fadnavis posted his reaction on social media: “Terrorism was never saffron, is not, and never will be!” (PTI)

The Congress, meanwhile, alleged that the investigation was botched due to political pressure. Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also asked the Mahayuti government if it would approach a higher court to challenge the Malegaon verdict, just like it did recently when the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case.

Thursday’s verdict was delivered nearly 17 years after a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in the communally sensitive town of Malegaon in Nashik district in September 2008, killing six people and injuring over 100. Seven people were charged in the case, including Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, a serving Army officer at the time. However, the court acquitted them after flagging several loopholes in the prosecution’s case, saying there was no “reliable and cogent” evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

As soon as the verdict was out, Fadnavis posted his reaction on social media: “Terrorism was never saffron, is not, and never will be!”

Later, speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said the Congress-led UPA government at the time was responsible for the entire case, alleging it was a conspiracy to create the narrative of “Hindu terrorism” as a counter to Islamic terrorism, which had been globally recognised after the 9/11 terror attacks.

“More than the police, the then UPA government was responsible for the case. They had conspired to appease a certain community and extremist ideology. The court verdict has exposed the conspiracy, and the entire country is now condemning it. Congress leaders must now publicly apologise to Hindus for defaming them by associating them with so-called saffron terrorism and the conspiracy to coin a new term—Hindu or saffron terrorism,” he said.

Fadnavis added that his government will look into the details of the verdict, checking what exactly the court has brought on record. A decision over the next course of action would be taken after this, he added.

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also blamed the previous Congress-led government for the bungled investigation, saying, “The ruling parties at the time tried to indict innocent people in the case to appease certain communities. There was a political motive behind it, as was said after the case was registered. The verdict has ratified the doubt raised.”

Shiv Sena president and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde alleged that using the term “saffron terrorism” was part of the Congress’s conspiracy to defame the Hindu community. “Hindus can never engage in anti-national activities, because patriotism is a sacred duty for those who follow Hinduism. The absurd term ‘Hindu terrorism’ was coined by conspiratorial Congress leaders. What answer do they have now for such blatant falsehoods?” he said.

Adding that the court’s verdict has ended a dark chapter, he said, “The stigma on the Hindu community has been wiped off. The slogan ‘Garv se kaho hum Hindu hain’ (Say with pride we are Hindus) will now resonate across the country with a hundredfold louder voice. Truth may be troubled, but can never be defeated.”

The Congress hit back at the Mahayuti, with state party chief Sapkal saying that terrorism has no religion or colour, and the state government should ensure justice is delivered in the case. “As soon as the verdict of the 2006 [Mumbai train] bomb blasts was announced, the state government challenged it in the Supreme Court. Will the state government show the same will in this case, as both were acts of terrorism and the perpetrators of the cases should face justice,” he said, adding that the state government should not be double-faced. The 12 acquitted accused in the train blasts case were all Muslims.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “These people even view terrorism through a political lens. Those associated with the BJP and RSS had, for their political gain, labelled martyr Hemant Karkare a traitor. Wasn’t it the same political mindset that led to [special public prosecutor] Rohini Salian being asked to take a lenient stand against the accused and slow down the investigation? Witnesses were enticed with offers. A witness like Randhir Singh was even given a ministerial position in Jharkhand.”

Karkare, the former chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), led the team that initially investigated the blast and arrested 11 suspects, including Thakur and Purohit. He was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Sawant also said that the central government should express sorrow that individuals responsible for such a major terrorist incident are now roaming free. “Honestly, this verdict did not come as a surprise because the NIA had already given them a clean chit. The government should consider renaming this investigative agency the NaMo Investigation Agency,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said the fact that the investigation agencies had failed to gather evidence properly and the real culprits were still not known was a serious matter. “The remarks by the court, which said there is no evidence, was a serious matter. If there was no evidence against Sadhvi Pragya and others, why did they suffer all these years? It was an injustice to them. But the incident took place, so someone must be involved in it. Who are they? Why can’t investigation agencies catch them?” he said.

Former MP Imtiyaz Jalil from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, meanwhile, maintained that the blast was aimed at “creating communal division” in the country. “An Army officer and a religious figure were accused in the case, which was being investigated by one of the finest officers, Hemant Karkare. The BJP has tried to derive political advantage from the case,” he said.