Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, expressed approval following the acquittal in the Malegaon blast case, and harshly criticized the usage of the term 'Saffron Terror' narrative by the Congress party.
In a landmark verdict, the NIA special court has acquitted all seven accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case, a decision that has sparked a political debate across the country.
The Malegaon bomb blast, which occurred in 2008, was a significant event that fueled the controversial "saffron terrorism" narrative in India. This narrative, which suggests the existence of a distinct form of terrorism motivated by Hindu extremist ideology, gained prominence between 2008 and 2011, with Congress leader Digvijaya Singh repeatedly warning of "Hindu terrorism" or "saffron terror."
The case initially implicated some Hindu nationalist activists, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, leading to a politically charged investigation with allegations of torture and conspiracy against the accused. However, the verdict has provided the BJP and its allies with support to claim that the "saffron terror" narrative was a baseless conspiracy orchestrated by the Congress party for electoral gains.
Eknath Shinde, the deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief, stated that the verdict has wiped away the stain unfairly placed on Hindus. He also emphasized that terrorism has no colour or religion, and that whoever is guilty must be convicted, regardless of their background. Shinde accused the Congress of using the term 'saffron terror' for vote bank politics.
Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Mumbai, welcomed the verdict and accused the Congress of spreading the false narrative of saffron terrorism. He stated that the truth can never be defeated, and those who played politics by labelling Hindus as terrorists must now face the truth.
The state Congress president, Harshwardhan Sapkal, has questioned the timing of the Malegaon blast case verdict. He raised the question of who was actually behind the Malegaon blasts, as the key question still remains unanswered. Sapkal stated that the Congress has always stood firmly against terrorism.
AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel has called the verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case 'disappointing.' Jaleel questioned who the real perpetrators of the Malegaon blasts are.
Sapkal suggested that if the state government is approaching the Supreme Court against the acquittal in the Mumbai train blast case, it should also challenge the verdict in the Malegaon blast case.
With this verdict, the mask has fallen, according to Shinde. Though delayed, justice has finally been served. Truth can never be defeated, and those who played politics by labelling Hindus as terrorists must now face the truth. The Malegaon bomb blast case verdict has undoubtedly stirred a political debate, with both sides presenting their perspectives on the "saffron terrorism" narrative.
- The Malegaon bomb blast case verdict has sparked a political debate about the existence of 'saffron terrorism' in India, a narrative that Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, among others, has been promoting since 2008.
- Despite the acquittal of all accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel finds the verdict disappointing, questioning who the real perpetrators of the 2008 Malegaon blasts may be.
- State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal has questioned the timing of the Malegaon blast case verdict and suggests that if the state government is challenging the acquittal in the Mumbai train blast case, it should also challenge the verdict in the Malegaon blast case, highlighting the general-news and crime-and-justice implications of both cases.
