New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) The BJP on Friday alleged that the Congress-led UPA government tried to establish “saffron terror” angle in the 2008 Malegaon blast case to deal a blow to Sanatan dharma and appease the party’s votebank.
The allegation came a day after a former police officer, Mehiboob Mujawar, who was part of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that probed the Malegaon blast case, claimed that he had been asked to apprehend RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to establish “saffron terror” angle in the case.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party MP and national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the Congress’s attempt to establish a narrative of “bhagwa atankwad” (saffron terror) during its rule “fell flat” with a court in Mumbai acquitting all accused in the blast case.
“But what Mehiboob Mujawar has revealed is shocking,” he said “He has revealed that his higher offer, who was heading the ATS, and some big people in the (UPA) government had pressured him to arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at any cost to further push the narrative of saffron terror. He was ordered to arrest Bhagwat even though his name was not there in the chargesheet,” he added.
Patra said Mujawar’s claim shows how the Congress worked with a vindictive attitude towards the BJP, Hindus, and those holding higher positions in the Sangh then.
The Congress also tried to spread the narrative of “saffron terror” at the behest of the Gandhi family to “insult” Hindus, he charged.
“For appeasement and vote bank politics, the Gandhi family had an intense desire to see that Sanatan and Hindus are attacked,” he added.
Patra said that those framed in the Malegaon blast case under a “conspiracy by the Congress,” have finally got justice after 17 years.
Among those “innocent individuals” were an army officer, a sadhvi, and a saint, he said.
“The Congress systematically and continuously attacked all four symbols: the army, saints, Sanatan and the Constitution. But at the end, truth prevailed,” Patra said.
The BJP leader also took on the Congress over former Maharashtra chief minister Pritviraj Chavan’s “Hindu fundamentalist” remarks, saying there is doubt that his party’s high command must have asked him to say so. “He made such remarks at the behest of Rahul Gandhi.” Speaking to PTI Videos after the Malegaon blast case verdict, Chavan on Thursday objected to the use of “saffron terror” phrase, saying, “If you want to describe such acts, use Hindu fundamentalist or Hindu terrorism instead.” PTI PK VN VN
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