Hindu terror bogey busted, Cong should apologise for maligning 'sanatan dharma': BJP

New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) Declaring that the "Hindu terror bogey" has been busted with the acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, the BJP on Thursday asked the Congress leadership to apologise for maligning 'sanatan dharma' by branding innocent individuals as terrorists.

Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, owe Hindus an unconditional apology, said BJP IT department head Amit Malviya. Several of his colleagues echoed him.

The seven accused who were acquitted by a special court in Mumbai include former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The September 2008 blasts near a mosque in the Maharashtra town killed six persons and injured 101.

Special Judge A K Lahoti, assigned to hear cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), flagged several loopholes in the prosecution's case and the investigation carried out, and said the accused persons deserved the benefit of doubt.

“Hindu terror bogey busted,” said BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia after the verdict.

“Today, the Court has acquitted all accused, exposing how innocent individuals were branded as terrorists to satisfy political narratives and appease vote banks by the Congress,” he said in a post on X.

He added that it wasn't just a legal verdict but a moral indictment of those who defamed an entire faith for electoral gains.

“Who will be held accountable for years of humiliation, injustice, and media trials? Will Rahul Gandhi apologise to the nation and all Hindus,” Bhatia said in his post.

According to Malviya, the “sinister conspiracy” by the Congress to manufacture the bogey of saffron terror has not just collapsed but been “buried for good” with the acquittal of all seven accused in the case.

“Those like Sonia Gandhi, P Chidambaram, and Sushilkumar Shinde, who led this malicious campaign, owe an unconditional apology to Hindus for maligning Sanatan Dharma,” he said in a post on X.

Hindus can never be terrorists, Malviya asserted.

Attacking the Congress, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, “Home Minister (Amit Shah) said yesterday that Hindus cannot be terrorists. There is no such term as 'saffron terrorism'. Hindus never indulge in such disgraceful acts.” All the blasts that happened between 2005 and 2013 were carried out in India at the behest of Pakistan but the Congress-led UPA government tried to create “communal tension” instead of catching Pakistani terrorists, he alleged.

“This is the Congress’ mindset. And it always practices China-friendly and pro-China politics, which has now been exposed,” Dubey told PTI Videos in Parliament complex. PTI PK UZM PK MIN MIN