The Malegaon blast verdict has not only acquitted the accused but also shattered the politically motivated “Hindu terror” narrative crafted during the UPA era.
Seventeen years after the Malegaon bomb blast, the court has finally delivered its verdict, and all seven accused have been acquitted. The case collapsed due to a lack of evidence.
This judgment has once again brought back memories of the political narrative crafted during that period, when the term “Hindu Terror” was deliberately coined. At that time, the UPA government was in power at the Centre.
It was Congress leader Digvijaya Singh who first tried to link the case with the RSS, going so far as to call it a “bomb-making factory.”
His allegations were not confined to Malegaon. He dragged Hindu organisations into other cases as well, including Ajmer, Samjhauta Express, and more.
Leaked diplomatic cables from the U.S. added fuel to the controversy. According to reports, Rahul Gandhi, in conversation with the American ambassador, claimed that radical Hindu groups were more dangerous than Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Even India’s then National Security Advisor, M.K. Narayanan, is reported to have discussed the concept of “Hindu extremism” with the FBI Director.
All this happened during a time when the Maharashtra ATS arrested Sadhvi Pragya and Lt. Col. Purohit, who have now been acquitted with full honour by the courts.
When the case was transferred to the NIA, major lapses in the earlier investigations came to light. Key prosecution witnesses turned hostile, and material evidence didn’t hold up in court.
The NIA itself admitted that the evidence was insufficient. For instance, the motorcycle linked to the blast had reportedly changed hands long before the incident.
In 2017, Sadhvi Pragya was granted bail by the High Court. Lt. Col. Purohit also got relief from the Supreme Court. Investigation flaws were now clearly visible.
In 2019, Sadhvi Pragya contested the Lok Sabha elections and won a powerful message from the people, who rejected the “terrorist” label and chose her as their representative.
Ultimately, the court stated unequivocally that a conviction cannot rest on suspicion alone. No solid evidence was found, and no witness stood the test of trial.
Following the verdict, Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that a Hindu can never be a terrorist, the ideology of Hinduism and terrorism are fundamentally incompatible.
This was the same era when even the 26/11 Mumbai attack was falsely attempted to be linked by some political voices to Hindu groups. The capture of Ajmal Kasab, however, exposed the truth.
The Congress’s Constructed Theory of “Hindu Terror” Now Lies Exposed. The court’s judgment is a resounding slap on the face of this fabricated narrative. Now that the judiciary has ruled that there was no substance to the charges, it becomes imperative to ask tough questions about the lies peddled back then and the political motives behind them.
The Malegaon verdict is not just a judicial decision; it is a historic reminder that truth cannot be buried forever. The nation must now ask: Who will be held accountable for tarnishing the image of an entire community for political gain?
