RSS, VHP Reject ‘Saffron Terror’ as “Evil Attempt” to Malign Hindus
Hindu Organizations Welcome Acquittals, Demand Apology from Congress for Alleged Conspiracy to Defame Hindu Society.
- RSS and VHP welcomed the acquittal in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, rejecting the concept of “saffron terror.”
- RSS’s Sunil Ambekar stated that the court’s verdict declared attempts to link Hindu dharma to terrorism as baseless.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 31st July: After the acquittal of all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case by a special NIA court, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have strongly welcomed the verdict, asserting that it has rejected a “malicious attempt” to link Hindu religion and society with terrorism. Both organizations have also demanded apologies from Congress leaders.
In a statement released Thursday, RSS’s publicity in-charge Sunil Ambekar stated, “On the basis of some selfish motives, political selfishness and personal interests, an evil attempt was made to link the entire Hindu dharma and Hindu community to terrorism. With the court’s verdict today, all those attempts and allegations have been declared baseless.” The special NIA court in Mumbai had noted that the prosecution failed to provide “reliable and cogent evidence” against the accused.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president Alok Kumar echoed this sentiment, stating, “A conspiracy was hatched to defame Hindu society in the Malegaon blast case and ‘saffron terror’ was coined. This verdict is important because it shows there was no such thing as ‘saffron terror’, it is not there and it can never be either.” He added that everyone should accept the court’s verdict and that they knew the accused were innocent since 2008.
VHP’s joint general secretary Surendra Jain specifically targeted the Congress, remarking, “Today, the conspiracy of the false story of saffron terrorism that Congress had created to save ‘jihadi’ terrorists has been exposed. All Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi should apologise not only to the Hindu community but to the entire country!”
The BJP also joined the chorus, with senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad demanding an apology from former Congress presidents Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Prasad recalled instances where Congress leaders, including P. Chidambaram (in 2010) and Sushil Kumar Shinde (as Union Home Minister), had used the term “saffron terrorism.” He also referenced an alleged past statement by Rahul Gandhi suggesting “Hindu terrorism is more dangerous than Lashkar-e-Taiba.” Prasad emphasized that the 2008 Malegaon blast case was the first time the term “saffron terror” was used, and highlighted the NIA court’s observation that “terrorism has no religion, and no religion teaches violence.”
The 2008 Malegaon blast, caused by an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle, killed six people and injured 101 others. The recent acquittal by the NIA court closes a politically charged case that has spanned nearly 17 years.
