Rahul Gandhi Says Malegaon Blast Verdict ‘Not Real Issue’ After Court Exposes ‘Saffron Terror’ Conspiracy

New Delhi: Amid controversy over the Malegaon blast case verdict, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi maintained a surprising silence on the matter on Thursday.

When asked about the acquittal of all accused in the case, the Congress MP dodged the question, stating that the Malegaon case is not the real issue.

"Please don’t try to divert the issue. The main issue in India today is that the government has destroyed economic policy, defence policy, and foreign policy. They are running this country to the ground," Rahul Gandhi told reporters.

It is important to note that the Congress had previously claimed that Hindu groups pose a bigger threat than Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

While many opposition leaders have expressed disappointment over the verdict, it was anticipated that Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of Opposition, would respond to the verdict. His silence has taken people, especially the media, by surprise.

Now, several BJP leaders are demanding an apology from senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, for making such statements regarding "saffron terrorism" without substantiating them with evidence.

How Did BJP Leaders React To The Verdict?

Former Karnataka CM and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai said, "It is the victory of truth. The whole judgment has exposed the conspiracy and dirty politics of Congress to bring in 'saffron terrorism', which was not there. It was done to cover up their lapses and to support Islamic terrorist groups. It has been very much exposed. I think Congress should apologise to the country."

"I congratulate Colonel Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, and all the other accused. My greetings to the court for serving justice to all the accused and the entire Hindu community... The army got justice because they accused a serving Colonel Purohit of being a terrorist... They fabricated a theory of Bhagwa terror... The Congress and its leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul, have to apologise to the nation... The Congress betrayed the country," said BJP MP Brij Lal.

Regarding the verdict, BJP MP Medha Kulkarni said, "It is a very good decision and we are all happy. This fight was going on for 17 years, and baseless allegations were made against Sadhvi Pragya Singh, our Pune Colonel Prasad Purohit and others by calling it saffron terrorism. We have seen what they did, Sadhvi Pragya... But today justice has been served. I congratulate the judiciary... I am very sorry that whenever the issue of terrorism comes up, different names come to the fore. Everyone knows where terrorism thrives and who is its master. Still, Congress leaders have always tried to balance it by saying that terrorism has no religion. Terrorism is happening on the basis of religion. In Pahalgam, people were killed after asking about their religion. Was that not religious terrorism? False allegations are made to balance it."

BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said, "Today is a historic day and also a day of joy because the UPA government had played a game of misusing government institutions... The UPA government had given rise to a new form of terrorism, which they started calling 'Hindu terrorism.' To prove this narrative of the UPA government correct, they imprisoned leaders with Sanatan tendencies under false accusations. Today it has been proven that there is no such thing as 'Hindu terrorism'... A Hindu cannot be a terrorist, and if someone is a terrorist, they cannot be a Hindu'—this statement has been proven meaningful today."

How Did Sadhvi Pragya And Other Accused React To The Verdict?

Former MP Sadhvi Pragya who was on Wednesday acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, expressed relief over the Mumbai NIA special court's verdict stating that "Bhagwa and Hindutva has won" and the real culprits in the blasts that killed six people and injured 95 others will be punished.

"Bhagwa was defamed by them through a conspiracy, today Bhagwa has won and Hindutva Has won and those who are guilty will be punished by God. But those who defamed India and Bhagwa both are not proved wrong by you. I thank you sir (to Judge Abhay Lohati)," Pragya said as she openly wept after the verdict.

Detailing how she was "tortured" during the investigation, the former MP reiterated what she earlier about pressure on the investigation to frame the accused.

"I said this from very beginning that those who are called for investigation there should be basis behind that. I was called by them for investigation and was arrested and tortured. This ruined my whole life. I was living a sage's life but I was made and accused and no one was willingly standing beside us. I am alive because I am a sanyasi, I am living my life with dying every day," she said.

While in the court, the former MP was allowed to sit in the witness box instead of the accused box due to her health condition.

Another acquitted, Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay expressed relief over the verdict and also alleged "physical, mental and financial" torture.

"We sufffered all kinds of torture including physical, mental and financial tortures. We willingly gave Narco tests but that was not relied upon as it didn't suit the prosecution's case. I am happy that the court gave us relief. My husband, wife and son were called some wife and daughter of terrorist but I am thankful that that stigma will go from our lives," he said.

Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, also thanked the court for restoring his faith in the justice system.

"I thank you for restoring the faith of the common man in the system again. In life of a nation individual lives don't matter, it's the nation which matters ultimately," he said.

"I thank you for giving me a chance to serve my nation and my organisation with the same conviction which I was doing before me being framed in this matter. I don't blame any organisation for all this. Organisations like investigating agencies are not wrong but people inside the organisations are the ones who have done wrong," he added.

Also Read: ‘Tortured for 13 Days, Branded a Terrorist’: Sadhvi Pragya Breaks Down Inside Courtroom After Acquittal in Malegaon Blast Case, Declares Triumph of Hindutva