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Terrorism should not be associated with any religion: Digvijay Singh on Malegaon blast acquittals

Terrorism should not be associated with any religion: Digvijay Singh on Malegaon blast acquittals

Time of India2 days ago
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Thursday reiterated that terrorism should not be linked to any religion, following the acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case by a special NIA court.
"Neither can a Hindu be a terrorist, nor a Muslim, Sikh or Christian," Singh told PTI Videos in the Parliament complex shortly after the verdict.
"Every religion is an embodiment of love, goodwill, truth, and non-violence," the Rajya Sabha MP added, emphasising that all faiths are grounded in peace.
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The seven accused in the case—who include BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit—were cleared of all charges by the court, which ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Singh, who has often been criticised by BJP leaders for allegedly coining the term "saffron terror," refuted the claim and defended his party.
'The BJP is absolutely wrong in saying that the term 'Hindu terror' was coined by the Congress,' he said.
He further noted, 'Extremists are individuals who distort religion to spread hatred,' reiterating that violence is not sanctioned by any faith.
The Malegaon blast took place near a mosque in the Maharashtra town on 29 September 2008, killing six people and injuring over a hundred. The National Investigation Agency took over the case from Maharashtra ATS in 2011.
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