"Congress conspiracy of Hindu terror has been destroyed": BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad on Malegaon verdict

New Delhi [India], July 31 (ANI): BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad on Thursday welcomed the special NIA court's decision to acquit all accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, alleging that the entire case was part of a "Congress conspiracy" to promote the narrative of "Hindu terror" for political gains.
The 2008 Malegaon blast case was transferred to the NIA in 2011 from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). After a 17-year-long wait, examination of hundreds of witnesses, the NIA special court today acquitted all seven people accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and all other charges.
Addressing a press conference, Prasad said, "Congress's conspiracy of Hindu terror has been destroyed. There was no evidence against any of the accused. Colonel Purohit, who fought against terrorism in Kashmir, was accused. Pragya Thakur was accused of using her motorcycle in the blast. She was tortured so much that she could not walk after that. This was a Congress conspiracy for sheer vote-bank politics. We welcome the court's decision."
Earlier in the day, Former MP Sadhvi Pragya, who was acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, expressed happiness over the Mumbai NIA special court's verdict, stating that "Bhagwa and Hindutva have won", emphasising that the real culprits in the blasts that killed six people and injured 95 others will be punished.
Reacting to the development, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, "What did the Union Home Minister say in the Rajya Sabha yesterday? A Hindu cannot be a terrorist. All the terrorists in this country have only one religion. It has been proven. Congress did the dirty work of spreading the term 'Saffron Terrorism'.Everything is clear now, and the Congress will have to face the consequences... Instead of catching Pakistani terrorists, why were the people of India accused?"
Meanwhile, Security had been heightened around the NIA court before the verdict. Visuals from the Mumbai Special NIA court showed people standing outside, awaiting the court's verdict. Notably, the witnesses had also come to the court to watch the announcement.
On September 29 2008, six people were killed and 95 others injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon City's Bhikku Chowk. Originally, 11 people were accused in the case; however, the court ultimately framed charges against 7, including former MP Sadhvi Pragya. (ANI)