Following the acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Maharashtra's former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asserted that the verdict has "exposed the conspiracy" of the previous Congress-led UPA government to establish a narrative of "Hindu terrorism". Fadnavis and other leaders of the Mahayuti alliance welcomed the NIA court's decision, with Fadnavis stating that the Congress must apologize to the Hindu community for defaming them by associating them with "saffron terrorism".
The 2008 Malegaon blast case pertains to an explosion that occurred on September 29, 2008, near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring nearly 100. The blast took place during Ramadan, a significant time for the Muslim community. Initially, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) investigated the case and arrested several individuals, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The ATS alleged that the blast was carried out by right-wing extremists.
The special NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including Pragya Singh Thakur and Prasad Purohit, citing insufficient evidence. Special Judge AK Lahoti observed that the prosecution failed to provide reliable and cogent evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The court also noted inconsistencies in the evidence presented by the prosecution. While the court acknowledged a "high degree of suspicion" regarding the accused's role, it stated that suspicion alone is not enough for conviction. The court directed the Maharashtra government to compensate the families of those killed with ₹2 lakh each and those injured with ₹50,000.
Fadnavis stated that the Congress-led UPA government was responsible for the case, alleging that it was a conspiracy to create the narrative of "Hindu terrorism" to counter Islamic terrorism. He further claimed that the UPA government pressured the police to create this conspiracy to appease a certain community and extremist ideology. Other BJP leaders echoed this sentiment, with Ravi Shankar Prasad stating that the acquittal "destroyed the Congress's conspiracy to manufacture a false narrative of 'Hindu terrorism'". The BJP has demanded an apology from former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and sought compensation for those acquitted.
However, a Congress leader, Prithviraj Chavan, maintained the existence of "Hindu terrorism". Chavan said that while using the term "saffron terror" may not be appropriate, it should be called "Hindu fundamentalist" or "Hindu terrorism" instead. He also said that the first terrorist incident in independent India was carried out by Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi.
Following the verdict, Advocate Shahid Nadeem, representing the victims' families, expressed disappointment over the acquittals and stated that they would appeal the acquittals in the High Court.
It is important to note that the NIA is unlikely to challenge the acquittal of the accused. Officials cited similar cases, such as the Samjhauta train, Ajmer Dargah, and Mecca Masjid blasts in 2007, in which Swami Aseemanand was acquitted by different courts. An NIA officer stated that going into appeal may not serve any purpose in such cases where there is no fresh evidence other than what was already presented before the trial court.
