NEW DELHI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday strongly defended former BJP MP Pragya Thakur after her controversial claim that she was tortured during the Malegaon blast probe, and accused the Congress-led UPA government of using the incident to frame prominent Hindutva leaders .
Speaking in Thane, Shinde said: “Even in the blasts that happened before the Malegaon bomb blast, it was said that this is ‘saffron terrorism’. The then Congress and the UPA government gave it this form. This is an insult to Hindus... A retired police officer had said that RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat should also be implicated in this case... An attempt was made to implicate the prominent leaders of Hindutva in this case.”
Shinde also backed Thakur’s recent allegations that investigators pressured her to take Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name. “Sadhvi Pragya said that she was tortured to take PM Modi's name in this case... How can anyone do such a disgusting act for votes and politics?” he asked, before launching a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi .
“Rahul Gandhi always speaks the language of Pakistan. He is famous in Pakistan... Is this patriotism? This is love for Pakistan. The politicians who pressured those conducting the investigation should be investigated, their narco tests should be performed, and strict action should be taken against them,” Shinde said.
Thakur, who was acquitted this week in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case along with six others, had earlier told reporters that officers tried to force her to name top BJP and RSS leaders including PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. She alleged illegal detention and torture, although the court found no evidence to support these claims. “I did not take anyone’s name because I didn’t want to lie,” Thakur said, adding that she is writing her story to reveal the full truth.
The special NIA court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. All seven accused were acquitted and ordered to be compensated.
Speaking in Thane, Shinde said: “Even in the blasts that happened before the Malegaon bomb blast, it was said that this is ‘saffron terrorism’. The then Congress and the UPA government gave it this form. This is an insult to Hindus... A retired police officer had said that RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat should also be implicated in this case... An attempt was made to implicate the prominent leaders of Hindutva in this case.”
Shinde also backed Thakur’s recent allegations that investigators pressured her to take Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name. “Sadhvi Pragya said that she was tortured to take PM Modi's name in this case... How can anyone do such a disgusting act for votes and politics?” he asked, before launching a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi .
#WATCH | Thane, Maharashtra | Dy CM Eknath Shinde says, "Even in the blasts that happened before the Malegaon bomb blast, it was said that this is 'saffron terrorism'. The then Congress and the UPA government gave it this form. This is an insult to Hindus... A retired police… pic.twitter.com/F3calheZja
— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2025
“Rahul Gandhi always speaks the language of Pakistan. He is famous in Pakistan... Is this patriotism? This is love for Pakistan. The politicians who pressured those conducting the investigation should be investigated, their narco tests should be performed, and strict action should be taken against them,” Shinde said.
Thakur, who was acquitted this week in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case along with six others, had earlier told reporters that officers tried to force her to name top BJP and RSS leaders including PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. She alleged illegal detention and torture, although the court found no evidence to support these claims. “I did not take anyone’s name because I didn’t want to lie,” Thakur said, adding that she is writing her story to reveal the full truth.
The special NIA court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. All seven accused were acquitted and ordered to be compensated.
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