Maharashtra CM Reacts to Malegaon Blast Verdict

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed his satisfaction with the verdict of a special NIA court in Mumbai, which acquitted seven individuals in the high-profile Malegaon blast case of 2008. Among those acquitted were former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit.

The court found there was insufficient evidence to convict the accused over the 2008 explosion, which killed six people and injured 101 others near a mosque in the town of Malegaon. The acquittal has sparked various political reactions, with Fadnavis asserting that 'terrorism was never saffron.'

Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde welcomed the judgement, claiming it exposed an alleged Congress conspiracy to push the 'Hindu terror' narrative. BJP leaders, including Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, echoed this sentiment, criticizing past efforts to associate Hindutva with terrorism.

(With inputs from agencies.)