UPA strengthened Pakistan's theory of Hindu terror, says BJP

Hitting back at the Congress for targeting the NIA and the NDA government over a clean chit to Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur and five others, the BJP said on Saturday that the then Congress-led UPA had strengthened Pakistan's theory of Hindu terror by framing charges against Hindu leaders.

"A conspiracy was hatched to frame Sadhvi Pragnya. It was Pakistan's theory that alleged Hindu radicals were behind terrorism in India. The Congress leaders strengthened this by coining Hindu terror word," BJP national secretary Srikant Sharma told IANS.

"When Pakistan was being put on dock by international agencies over terrorism, Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde coined the term Hindu terror to weaken the cases of terrorism," he added.

The NIA on Friday gave a clean chit to Malegaon blast key accused Sadhvi and five others, paving the way for their early release from prison.

However, eight more accused, including Lt.Col. Prasad Srikant Purohit, will continue to be prosecuted for their role in the September 29, 2008 terror bombing that claimed at least seven lives in the Muslim majority town in Maharashtra's Nashik district.

Sharma, who is also the convenor of the BJP's media cell, had earlier said that the investigative agencies used to probe the terrorism cases while wearing "Italian glasses".

"Now our agencies are probing the matters by wearing Indian glasses," he said, and asked Congress leaders not to undertake politics over terrorism.

"Its a legal matter and the court has given clean chit in Malegaon blast case. They (Congress) are not only politicising it but also questioning the court verdict. They should refrain from such politics over terrorism as it has no colour," Sharma said.

He also accused the opposition parties of double standards on Malegaon blast cases.

"When eight accused in the case were discharged by the court recently, the Congress and company were silent and now they are questioning the court verdict. This is nothing but their double standard," he alleged.

A special court on April 25 had discharged all nine Muslim youths charge-sheeted in the 2006 Malegaon serial blasts case. They included one who died recently.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday hit out at the NIA and the BJP-led government for safeguarding "terrorists".

"We know you want to safeguard them (the accused) and we also know you have links with those who are involved in terror activities," he had said.

--IANS

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