Tripura BJP welcomed the NIA court’s acquittal of all accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, calling it a blow to the “Sanatan terror” narrative. BJP leader Papiya Datta criticized Congress for politicizing the case and hailed the verdict as a moment of justice for the Hindu community.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura has strongly welcomed the recent verdict delivered by the Special NIA Court in Mumbai in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The court’s decision to acquit all seven accused has been described by Tripura BJP vice president Papiya Datta as a “decisive blow to the false narrative of so-called Sanatan terror.”
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Datta emphasized that the judgment has not only cleared the names of those falsely implicated but also restored faith in the judiciary for millions of Hindus across the country. She termed the verdict as a long-overdue moment of justice, coming 17 years after the incident shook the nation.
The Malegaon blast occurred on the night of September 29, 2008, in Malegaon town, located in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. Two bombs, planted on a motorcycle, exploded and killed seven people while injuring over 100 others. The attack led to a sweeping investigation by Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Among those arrested were prominent individuals like Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a former BJP Member of Parliament, and Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, a serving army officer at the time. These arrests sparked widespread political controversy and debates on the alleged rise of “Hindu terror,” a term that remained contentious for years.
Papiya Datta alleged that the investigation had been politically influenced from the beginning. “This verdict has brought immense relief and joy to the entire Hindu community, who were collectively defamed by a narrative manufactured with malicious intent,” she said. According to Datta, the Congress party deliberately attempted to link the Hindu religion with terrorism by coining the term “Saffron terror” or “Sanatan terror,” a move she believes was aimed at appeasing vote-bank politics.
Highlighting the key aspects of the verdict, Datta pointed out that the court found no conclusive forensic evidence linking Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur to the motorcycle used in the blast. Although the vehicle was once registered in her name, the court noted that ownership and use of the bike at the time of the blast could not be established beyond reasonable doubt.
Furthermore, she underlined that Sadhvi Pragya had renounced worldly life and taken spiritual vows two years prior to the incident, which further weakened the prosecution’s claim of her being the mastermind behind the conspiracy.
“The entire narrative fell apart under legal scrutiny,” Datta said. “The court has exposed the flaws and contradictions in the investigation that was carried out under immense political pressure.”
Tripura BJP’s senior leadership also reiterated that the time had come for a national introspection on how such narratives are constructed and used as political tools. Datta insisted that the incident should serve as a warning against the dangers of communal polarization and wrongful accusations.
She demanded that the Congress party offer an apology to the Hindu community and to those individuals who were subjected to years of mental agony, legal harassment, and public vilification without substantial evidence.
“The people deserve to know how and why an entire religion was demonized in the name of politics. We will continue to expose such conspiracies,” Datta asserted.
| Also Read: Pradyot Debbarma seeks fair probe in Nuns’ arrest case |
The verdict from the Special NIA Court marks a turning point in a case that has seen numerous twists and political overtones over the past decade and a half. While legal experts expect the NIA to appeal or the matter to be further debated at higher judicial levels, for now, the BJP and many in the Hindu community view this as a moral and legal victory.
