BJP Criticizes Congress over "Hindu Extremism" Comment Following Malegaon Judgment
In a controversial decision, the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case on July 31, 2025. The accused include former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and ex-Army officer Lt Col Prasad Purohit [1][2][3][4].
The verdict has sparked debate due to several reasons. Firstly, the accused were suspected of conspiring as right-wing extremists to target the local Muslim population, a case that mainstreamed the term "Hindu terror" [2]. Secondly, the court highlighted investigative lapses such as mishandling of the crime scene, planting of evidence, and witness retractions, which weakened the prosecution’s case [1][3].
Thirdly, the acquittal after 17 years of legal proceedings, including multiple judges and over 300 witnesses, has raised political tensions given the accused’s affiliations and the communal context of the blast that killed six and injured over 100 in a Muslim-majority area [2][4]. Families of victims have expressed dissatisfaction and plan further legal actions, maintaining pressure on authorities for justice [4].
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a statement, asserted that "Terrorism was never saffron, is not and will never be" [5]. However, his remarks were met with criticism from the Congress party, with its president Harshwardhan Sapkal labelling Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as the first terrorist in independent India [6].
The BJP, on the other hand, accused the Congress of coining terms like "Hindu terrorism" and "saffron terror" to counter the global narrative of "Islamic terrorism" after the 9/11 attacks [5]. Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar alleged that previous ruling parties attempted to frame innocent individuals in the Malegaon case for vote-bank politics [7].
Opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT) and AIMIM, have demanded that the Maharashtra government appeal the Malegaon verdict in the Bombay High Court [8][9]. Imtiaz Jaleel, a former MP, pointed out that six out of seven accused in the case of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination were convicted, and that those accused in the 7/11 case spent 19 years in jail before being cleared [9].
Advocate Shahid Nadeem, representing the victims' families, stated that the victims are not to blame for the acquittal [10]. The slogan 'Garv se kaho, hum Hindu hain' (Say it with pride, we are Hindus) is expected to resonate louder than ever, according to Eknath Shinde, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra [11].
However, the controversy revolves around the gap between public and political perceptions of guilt tied to communal and ideological lines, versus the court’s ruling that the prosecution failed to meet the legal burden of proof after a prolonged, complex investigation marked by procedural flaws [1][2][3][4].
In a surprising turn of events, the lawyer representing the victims' families in the Malegaon bomb blast case has announced plans to challenge the acquittal in the High Court [12]. The outcome of this legal battle promises to be a significant test of the Indian justice system's ability to deliver justice in complex, politically charged cases.
References: [1] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharshtra/malegaon-blast-case-acquittal-of-all-seven-accused-sparks-political-debate/article32667249.ece [2] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/malegaon-blast-case-acquittal-of-all-7-accused-sparks-political-row-2792351 [3] https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/malegaon-blast-case-acquittal-of-all-7-accused-sparks-political-row-125073101264_1.html [4] https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/malegaon-blast-case-acquittal-of-all-7-accused-sparks-political-debate/769896 [5] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-cm-devendra-fadnavis-says-terrorism-was-never-saffron-is-not-and-will-never-be-2791793 [6] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-congress-president-harshwardhan-sapkal-says-nathuram-godse-was-first-terrorist-in-independent-india-2791922 [7] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharshtra/malegaon-blast-case-acquittal-of-all-seven-accused-sparks-political-debate/article32667249.ece [8] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shiv-sena-ubt-demands-ouster-of-maharashtra-minister-over-bar-controversy-2791932 [9] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharshtra/malegaon-blast-case-acquittal-of-all-7-accused-sparks-political-debate/article32667249.ece [10] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharshtra/malegaon-blast-case-acquittal-of-all-7-accused-sparks-political-debate/article32667249.ece [11] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-cm-devendra-fadnavis-says-terrorism-was-never-saffron-is-not-and-will-never-be-2791793 [12] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/lawyer-representing-victims-families-in-malegaon-blast-case-announces-plans-to-challenge-acquittal-in-high-court-2792363
The acquittal of the accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case has raised political tensions due to the communal context of the blast, the accused's affiliations, and the long duration of the legal proceedings [2][4]. Also, the outcome of the legal battle challenging the acquittal in the High Court promises to be a significant test of the Indian justice system's ability to deliver justice in complex, politically charged cases [12].
