Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with his deputy Eknath Shinde
Credit: PTI File Photo
Hours after the acquittal of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, a political blame game has started in Maharashtra with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying that the Congress, which was heading the UPA coalition coined the word “Hindu terrorism” to counter “Islamic terrorism.” The Congress-NCP, which ruled the state as the Democratic Front at that time remarked that terrorism has no religion and the NIA failed to present evidence.
Besides, the Congress also wanted to know if the State will appeal against the acquittal in the Malegaon case in the Bombay High Court like the way it moved the Supreme Court in the 7/11 Mumbai train bombing case.
Devendra Fadnavis
“Terrorism was never saffron, is not, and will never be,” Fadnavis said and sought an apology from the Congress to the entire Hindu community.
“Congress came with the terminology of Hindu terrorism and saffron terror in the wake of the word Islamic terrorism post the 9/11 terror attacks…this they have done for appeasement politics and to gain Muslim votes,” he added.
Prithviraj Chavan
However, former chief minister and senior Congressman Prithviraj Chavan remembered that the first incident of terrorism in India after its Independence was the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. On these notes, he said, “What was the religion of Nathuram Godse…thus, terrorism has no religion, no caste, no colour."
“It is the duty of the investigative agency (ATS and then the NIA) to present the evidence (in the court),” the former minister of state in PMO in the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government said further.
“You don’t get RDX in the market,” Chavan said, noting that the accused were acquitted for want of evidence.
Eknath Shinde
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde too slammed the Congress.
“The Congress used the term ‘saffron terror’ for vote bank politics. With this verdict, the mask has fallen,” he said.
“The verdict by the NIA court has wiped away the stain unfairly placed on Hindus. Those who played politics by labeling Hindus as terrorists must now face the truth. The slogan ‘garv se kaho, hum Hindu hai' (say it with pride, we are Hindus) will now echo across the country louder than ever,” Shinde said, adding, “Though delayed, justice has finally been served. Truth can never be defeated. The Shiv Sena stood firmly with the accused from the beginning, because we always believed in their innocence.”
He emphasised that those wrongly accused had to endure immense mental and physical suffering. “This injustice will never be forgotten by the Hindu community. A Hindu can never act against the nation – patriotism is a sacred duty in our religion…the term "Hindu terrorism" was a fabricated lie created by conspirators within the Congress. “What answer does the Congress have now for this blatant falsehood? A dark chapter has ended today,” Shinde said.
“Hindus are tolerant by nature, but Congress used the idea of saffron terror for political gain,” he mentioned further.
Anil Deshmukh
NCP (SP) leader and former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, also a close aide of NCP (SP) supremo, opined that terrorism has no religion or colour.
Ambadas Danve
Leader of the opposition in Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, who is from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), responded to Fadnavis’ statement on the Malegaon blast acquittal.
Danve said, “We hold you in high regard. However, I just heard your statement. It is indeed a good thing that the accused in the Malegaon blast case have been acquitted. But you didn’t mention that the real masterminds behind it should also be traced. If you look a little into history, you’ll realize what kind of support (undivided Balasaheb Thackeray-led) Shiv Sena provided to the people who have been acquitted today after that incident. We’ve been taught not to boast about the support we’ve given. That’s all for now.”
Harshavardhan Sapkal
“Congress party has always been against terrorism. Congress has paid a heavy price for the sacrifices of Mahatma Gandhi , Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Terrorism has no colour, a terrorist is a terrorist, they should be punished,” said state Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal.
“The then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, the then home minister R R Patil and the officer investigating the case, Hemant Karkare, had followed up on the case… they are being remembered today. Also, the statement made by Special Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian that “ the investigating agency NIA had said that after the change of power at the Centre , a lenient stance should be taken towards the accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case ” is also becoming important after today's verdict,” Sapkal concluded.