Congress Narrative Of Hindu Terror Has Busted: Fadnavis On Malegaon Blast Case Verdict

Nagpur: Welcoming the verdict of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, which acquitted all the accused in the Malegaon terror blast case, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that it is now clear that the Congress narrative of Hindu terror has busted.

Speaking to reporters here, Fadnavis said, "After yesterday's verdict, Congress narrative of Hindu terror had busted. In late 1990 and in the early 2000s, a lot of terror attacks took place across the world, including United States of America and Europe. In India also, such incidents took place, and a lot of these attacks had a connection to Pakistan."

"It led to coining of a term Islamic terrorism. This was not coined by India, it was coined in the world. Congress understood that it was having a negative effect on their votebank. All Muslims were not termed as terrorists. But still to term all Hindus as terrorists, Congress and the UPA made this conspiracy," added Fadnavis, who hails from Nagpur.

A Special NIA court acquitted all 7 accused, including Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit and Pragya Singh Thakur, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

"By framing the word Hindu terror, they apprehended a lot of people, and they tried to put pressure on (probe) agencies and how Hindu organisations and RSS officials are involved in Hindu terror but they did not get any proof for it. They put pressure on police to act without any proof, but since the police officers did not fall pray to it, no action was taken. But it was a deep-rooted conspiracy," said the Maharashtra Chief Minister. He said the conspiracy has been exposed now.

Meanwhile, after Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate was shunted out of the Agriculture Ministry and given the Sports Ministry, Fadnavis said the decision was taken after speaking to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde. Dattatray Bharane, who was the Sports Minister, was given the Agriculture portfolio. Kokate was involved in a Rummy controversy, after vidoes of him playing Rummy in the Legislative Assembly were posted on social media by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar.

He also made clear that, henceforth, action will be taken against Ministers if they make any controversial remarks.