Assam CM welcomes NIA court verdict in Malegaon blast case, slams 'Hindu terror' narrative

Reacting to the acquittal of all accused in the Malegaon blast case by a special NIA court, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday hailed the verdict as a reaffirmation of cultural values and took a sharp dig at the previous UPA regime for allegedly coining the term "Hindu terror" for political appeasement.

Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statement in Parliament, Sarma said, “Union Home Minister stated in the House that Hindus, by philosophy, cannot be terrorists because our civilisation never promotes violence. Today, the Mumbai court's verdict upholds that view.”

Sarma accused the previous Congress-led government of introducing the phrase "Hindu terror" in an effort to appease a particular community, which he described as a "deliberate political construct."

“Hindus and terror are two entirely contradictory concepts. Our culture doesn’t believe in terrorism, and Hindus can never be terrorists. It is deeply satisfying to see that the false narrative propagated during the Congress era has been completely demolished by the court today,” the Chief Minister remarked.

He further added that the court’s decision to acquit all the accused not only delivers justice but also symbolically erases the “defamatory label” that was wrongly associated with an entire community for political gains.