Pragya Thakur slams Congress after Malegaon case acquittal: ‘They tortured Hindus’

Days after a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted her and six others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case in Maharashtra, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pragya Singh Thakur lashed out at the Opposition Congress, saying the incident was a conspiracy by the latter and it should be tried for treason.

The former parliamentarian (2019-24) from Bhopal received a rousing welcome after she reached the capital of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday (August 3).

Accusing the Congress of appeasing Muslims, the 55-year-old leader said it tortured the Hindus in every possible way when it was in power and jailed them.

Also read: Malegaon blast case ruined her life, Pragya Thakur tells court

“The Congress has always adopted appeasement politics for Muslims. They used this in their regime. They tortured Hindus in every manner, jailed them, and slapped false cases on them. They called it ‘saffron terror’ and ‘Hindutva terror’. The Congress harbours such a petty mindset. This was a conspiracy by Congress, and this qualifies as treason,” Pragya Thakur, also called Sadhvi Thakur, was quoted as saying by the ANI.

The Congress was in power both at the Centre (leading the United Progressive Alliance) and in Maharashtra when the Malegaon blasts took place.

Thakur blasts Param Bir Singh

She also slammed former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh who was part of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that was investigating the blast case. Calling him a “terrible man”, Thakur told the news outlet, “I have said this again and again that Parambir Singh is a terrible man. He crossed all limits and broke all laws. He tortured me outside the framework of law. I was tortured by not just Parambir Singh but officers of the entire ATS...”

Also read: Malegaon blast verdict: Top 10 things NIA court said

Thakur, who defeated Congress stalwart Digvijaya Singh in the 2019 Lok Sabha election but was denied a ticket for last year’s parliamentary polls after some of her remarks reportedly displeased the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, “Officers of ATS had created this atmosphere of fear in the country, so nobody was able to express themselves...It was an attempt to scare people because there was Congress government in Maharashtra and the Centre.

“So, they misused all government agencies and turned them corrupt. This was done by the UPA government...Several people, who were tortured by the ATS, lost their lives. But their families do not know where their bodies are...Several were killed, but their records were scrubbed...”

Also read: Pragya Thakur, 6 others acquitted; ‘can’t convict on moral evidence’: NIA court

Forced to take BJP leaders' names: Thakur

The BJP leader, who also alleged that she was forced to take the names of Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and other leaders during the investigation, reiterated it.

“I have said this earlier too that they forced me to take names of tall leaders. I didn't take those names; I didn’t act as they wanted me to. So, they tortured me. Those names especially included Mohan Bhagwat, Ram Madhav, PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath, Indresh Kumar and other leaders...,” she added.

On Thursday (July 31), the special court in Mumbai acquitted the seven accused noting that there was “no reliable and cogent evidence” against them.

Also read: Malegaon blast verdict sparks BJP-Congress war of words

On September 29, 2008, six people were killed while more than 100 were injured after an explosive strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the town of Malegaon in northern Maharashtra, about 280 km from Mumbai. The court said the prosecution failed to prove the two-wheeler belonged to Thakur.

(With inputs from agencies)