Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis reacts to the Malegaon Blast case verdict, stating “Terrorism was never saffron” after all the accused were acquitted by the special NIA court.
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MUMBAI: In the 2008 Malegaon blast case, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, citing a lack of “reliable and cogent evidence.” The judgment has ignited political reactions across party lines, especially surrounding the controversial narrative of “saffron terror.”
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Reacting to the acquittal, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter):
“Terrorism was never saffron, is not, and will never be.”
Fadnavis’s remarks appear to challenge the narrative introduced during the UPA era, when terms like “Hindu terror” gained prominence in the wake of arrests in the Malegaon case and others, such as the Samjhauta Express blast.
Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the police acted under pressure from the UPA government during the 2008 Malegaon blast investigation. Reacting to the acquittal of all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, he alleged that the probe was a conspiracy to defame Hindus and create a false saffron terror narrative for minority appeasement.
He demanded that the Congress apologise to both the Hindu community and the acquitted individuals. Fadnavis said he does not blame the police, stating they were influenced by the political regime at the time. He added that the government will review the judgment before deciding on the future course of action.
Background
The Malegaon blast took place on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town around 200 km from Mumbai. The explosion claimed six lives and injured over 100 people.
The case took a significant turn when individuals linked to Hindu nationalist groups were arrested, and the term “Hindu terror” or “saffron terror” entered mainstream political discourse for the first time.
On Thursday, the special NIA court acquitted all the accused, stating that the prosecution failed to present sufficient and credible evidence to prove their involvement. This included high-profile individuals like Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, who had been facing trial for over a decade.
ALSO READ: Timeline Of 17-Year Long Trial: 2008 Malegaon Blast Case Got A Closure Today
Shiv Sena and BJP Leaders
Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde lauded the NIA court’s decision, accusing the Congress party of planning a “sinister design” to implicate individuals from a particular religious background.
“We are very happy with the order… The Congress coined the term ‘Hindu terror’ to fulfill their agenda. They have been exposed,”
Hegde stated.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s earlier comment in Parliament, “No Hindu can be a terrorist,” was also brought up as a vindicated stance.
Maharashtra’s Water Resources Minister and BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil echoed similar sentiments. He argued that labeling Hindutva as a terrorist hurt religious sentiments and was part of a larger attack on Indian spiritualism.
On the other hand, senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde chose not to comment on the verdict. Shinde had previously faced backlash for using the term “saffron terror” during his tenure.
Case Title: Maharashtra vs Pragyasingh Chandrapalsingh Thakur
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