After being acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur delivered an emotional address to the special NIA court in Mumbai. Visibly overwhelmed, she stated that the case had “ruined” her life and described the deep trauma she endured over the past 17 years. Thakur told the judge, “I have lived by dying every day. For 17 years I endured humiliation.” Her voice trembling with emotion, she recounted how she was treated during the investigation and trial process.
She described herself as a sanyasi (a spiritual ascetic) who had been leading a peaceful life until she was wrongfully implicated in the case. “I was living a sage’s life. I was dragged, humiliated, tortured. They ruined my whole life,” she said, asserting that it was not just an attack on her personally but on the Hindu identity she represents. “They defamed Bhagwa through conspiracy. Today, Bhagwa has won, Hindutva has won,” she added, calling the verdict a victory for saffron-clad ascetics and the broader Hindutva ideology.
Thakur emphasized her isolation during the years of legal battle, saying, “No one stood with us… I survived only because I am a sanyasi.” She suggested that divine justice would ultimately hold those responsible accountable, saying, “God will punish those who tried to insult Bhagwa.”
The court’s verdict acquitted all seven accused, including Pragya Thakur and Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, citing a lack of credible evidence and inconsistencies in the investigation. The case had been under scrutiny for nearly two decades, and the verdict sparked mixed reactions. While Pragya Thakur and her supporters hailed it as justice finally served, several political leaders and civil rights groups criticized the outcome, calling it a failure to deliver justice to the victims of the 2008 blast that claimed six lives.
- Advertisement -
