Court acquits all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya, in Malegaon blast case. Court states, no concrete evidence found. Uma Bharti and CM Yadav accuse Congress of plotting Hindu terrorism.
MP News: The special NIA court in Mumbai has acquitted all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, in the Malegaon bomb blast case. The court clarified that no solid and reliable evidence was found against them, therefore they cannot be convicted. This decision comes nearly 17 years after the 2008 blast in Malegaon, Maharashtra. The case had long fueled the political discourse of 'saffron terror'.
What was the Malegaon Blast Case?
On September 29, 2008, a motorcycle parked near a mosque in Malegaon, Nashik district of Maharashtra, exploded. The blast killed six people and injured more than 100. Investigating agencies had accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Purohit in the case. The investigation was initially conducted by Maharashtra ATS and later handed over to the NIA.
What did the court say?
In its decision, the court stated that no one can be labeled a terrorist based solely on political perception or media trials. The court said that in the absence of evidence, the accused cannot be convicted.
Statements by Uma Bharti and Mohan Yadav
After the verdict, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and senior BJP leader Uma Bharti said that the Congress had systematically coined the term 'saffron terror'. She said that Congress leader Digvijay Singh was behind this ideology and it was all done at the behest of Rahul Gandhi. She said that this false narrative was an attempt to damage the image of saints and the Hindu community globally.
Uma Bharti also questioned whether any action would be taken against those who crafted the 'saffron terror' narrative now that the accused have been declared innocent by the court.
CM Mohan Yadav Takes Aim
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reacted on social media platform 'X', writing, "Satyamev Jayate... This decision is a b blow to the narrow-mindedness of the Congress." He said that the Congress should understand that a Hindu can never be a terrorist. He also appealed to the Congress to publicly apologize to the Sanatanis.
Rameshwar Sharma also expressed displeasure
Former Protem Speaker of the Assembly and MLA Rameshwar Sharma welcomed the decision and said that it has been proven that the Congress coined the term 'Hindu terrorism' for political gain. He said that this term was used to divert attention from Islamic terrorism.
