Malegaon case: NIA decision vindication of Salian's claim,

Congress today termed the NIA decision to drop all charges against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and five others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case as vindication of the disclosure made by former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian that "NIA was asking her to go soft on Hindu terror suspects" while BJP and Shiv Sena welcomed the NIA move.
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said today's events "prove" what Salian had said about the NIA.
"The NIA's decision of removing Sadhvi's name from the chargesheet indicates how people related to Sangh Parivar are being saved despite being involved in heinous crimes.

"It is shocking that NIA now says there is no evidence against her (Sadhvi) when an officer like Hemant Karkare, who laid down his life for the nation, had investigated the episode," Chavan said.
The Congress also claimed the Central investigation agencies are under "tremendous pressure" of the BJP regime.
The BJP and Shiv Sena welcomed the NIA decision to drop all charges against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and five others and alleged that Sadhvi and another accused Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit were "framed" in the case at the behest of Congress.

Terming Pragya Thakur and Purohit as two "respectable people", Shiv Sena demanded a monetary compensation for Sadhvi for her "false implication" by the previous government.

"We have always been saying that these two (Sadhvi and Lt Col Purohit) have been framed wrongly. The word saffron terror was first coined by (former Finance minister) P Chidambaram and stressed upon by (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar. Who is to be held responsible for almost 10 years that she (sadhvi) spent behind bars? Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said.
"These two are respectable people. The Congress has been exposed today on how they used investigation agencies to defame Hindu religion. The government needs to provide monetary compensation to Sadhvi for the troubles she has gone through," she said.
BJP spokesperson Shaina N C said her party has nothing to do with the decision of NIA.

"When Salian gave the statement, it had started
appearing that the case is fizzling out. Today, what she (Salian) had said on NIA (that it was) asking her to go soft on Hindu terror suspects has been proved true," he added.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said that by giving a clean chit to Sadhvi, the BJP-led government has insulted Karkare.
"Giving a clean chit to Sadhvi amounts to insulting the martyred Hemant Karkare. When Rajnath Singh and Advani ji were in the Opposition, they had approached the then Prime Minister to drop charges against her.
"Karkare, on the morning of 26/11 was asked to explain his stand before the PMO but he was martyred the same day. Now the BJP is in power and thus are fulfilling their agenda," he claimed.