New Delhi: Following the acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticised the Congress for allegedly constructing a "Hindu terror" narrative for political gain.

Ravi Shankar Prasad calls it a "historic day"

During a press conference, Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Today marks a very historic day. The Congress party’s conspiracy to forcibly impose the narrative of ‘Hindu terrorism’ on the country has completely collapsed. In the Malegaon blast case, the court has clearly stated that there is no sufficient evidence against any of the accused.”

While addressing the media on Thursday, he added that the verdict exposed a “well-planned conspiracy” by the Congress to target Hindu individuals and obstruct the rise of Narendra Modi and the BJP. “The Congress can go to any extent to appease its vote bank. This case was a well-calculated conspiracy of the party for sheer vote-bank politics,” he stated.

Call for apology and compensation

Prasad demanded that all those acquitted, including Purohit and Thakur, be compensated for what he called years of false imprisonment and fabricated evidence.

He also said that the prosecution should apologise for allegedly using torture and planting evidence during the investigation. "Action should be taken against the officials who allegedly tortured and framed them,” he added.

He described Lt Col Purohit as a brave officer who fought terrorism in Kashmir, and referred to Thakur as a "sant" (seer) and respected leader, both of whom, he said, had suffered unjustly for 17 years.

Criticism of Congress leadership

Prasad directly targeted Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier dismissed the verdict as a distraction from pressing national issues, including US President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Indian economy.

Referring to WikiLeaks cables from 2010, Prasad claimed that in 2009, Rahul Gandhi told the US Ambassador that Hindu extremists could be more dangerous than the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

“It is the same Rahul Gandhi who is now running away from the truth,” Prasad said, calling on both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to apologise to the nation.

Prasad accuses Congress of targeting Hindus

Prasad accused the Congress-led UPA government of attempting to shield Muslim terror suspects while targeting Hindu individuals or organisations.

He cited multiple cases, including the Ishrat Jahan encounter in 2004, and the Makkah Masjid and Samjhauta Express blasts in 2007, where he claimed the Congress tried to shape the idea of "saffron terrorism".

He alleged that former Home Minister P Chidambaram used state agencies to frame people and influence public perception.

According to Prasad, the Congress's efforts to promote the "Hindu terror" label were politically motivated and intended to discredit Modi, Amit Shah, and the BJP. He also accused the party of pursuing pro-Muslim and China-friendly policies for electoral gain.

Other BJP leaders echo party line

Several other BJP leaders echoed the party’s support for the acquitted and attacked the Congress narrative. Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP, said the term "saffron terrorism" does not exist and asserted that "a Hindu can never be a terrorist."
He accused the UPA government of diverting attention from Pakistani involvement in blasts between 2005 and 2013 and instead fueling communal tensions.
Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell, added, “Sanatan Dharma is sacred. A Hindu cannot be a terrorist."

(with PTI and ANI inputs)