Nagpur: A fierce political storm has erupted following the acquittal of several accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis came out strongly against the Congress, accusing it of orchestrating the controversial ‘Bhagwa Atankwad’ narrative for political gains.
A day after the special NIA court delivered its verdict, Fadnavis launched a sharp offensive in Nagpur, alleging that the Congress party had fabricated the idea of “Hindu terror” during its tenure to protect its electoral base and create a false equivalence during a time when global Islamist terrorism was dominating headlines.
The Malegaon blast, which took place in a communally sensitive town in 2008, claimed the lives of 37 people and left over 100 injured. The initial investigation pointed towards Islamist groups, but the narrative shifted dramatically during the UPA government, with several individuals linked to right-wing Hindu groups brought under scrutiny. Many of them have now been acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.
According to Fadnavis, this shift in investigative focus was not coincidental but part of a calculated political move. He accused the Congress of trying to portray Hindu organisations, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as terror outfits in a bid to polarise votes and malign a particular community.
The Chief Minister said that innocent people were targeted and arrested without solid evidence and that the strategy was designed to build a false equivalency at the cost of national unity. He claimed the truth is now emerging, and the public will not forget how entire organisations were allegedly defamed for ideological reasons.
