New Delhi: RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, Sunil Ambekar, has said that people wanted to defame Hindu Dharma and the Hindu community, while commenting on the NIA Court’s acquittal of all accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
He said, “Based on some selfish motives, political selfishness and personal interests, an evil attempt was made to link the entire Hindu Dharma and Hindu community to terrorism. With the court’s verdict today, all those attempts and allegations have been declared baseless. I think this is very welcome.”
All seven accused acquitted in the case
Notably, all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, including BJP leader and former MP Pragya Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, were acquitted by a special NIA court on Thursday. The blast claimed the lives of six people and left more than 100 injured in Maharashtra’s Malegaon. The verdict in the case came after a wait of 17 years. Special NIA Judge AK Lahoti underscored that “terrorism has no religion”.
The judge, while giving the verdict, said, “Terrorism has no religion because no religion can advocate violence. The court cannot convict anyone merely on perception and moral evidence; there has to be cogent evidence.” The court also announced Rs 2 lakh compensation each to the families of all six victims of the blast and Rs 50,000 to the injured people.
Sadhvi Pragya said, “When the police called me, I came with a sense of cooperation. But they kept me in police custody, insulted me, and beat me up.” Sadhvi Pragya broke down in tears while speaking before the court. She further said, “I was humiliated in society. I lived my entire life in sannyas, but people looked at me with disdain and humiliated me. I tarnished the saffron colour. I am happy for the first time in 17 years. I was living a life of humiliation for 17 years.”
