A special NIA court acquitted five accused, including Aseemanand, in the Mecca Masjid blast case.
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Monday acquitted five persons, including Swami Aseemanand, in the 2007 Hyderabad Mecca Masjid blast case. Nine persons were killed over 50 were injured in the blast which took place May 18, 2007 during Friday prayers.
One of the accused in the case, RSS leader Sunil Joshi, was shot dead in December, 2007 in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas.
The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had then described the Mecca Masjid blast as the handiwork of the "Hindu terror outfits". The NIA court's verdict in the case has now triggered a fresh round of war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.
While Shivraj Patil, who was the Union Home Minister in 2007, rejected the charge of using the word "Hindu terror", the BJP has demanded an apology from the Congress.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, while reacting to the verdict, said that it was now clear that the case was a conspiracy against the Hindu community. Swamy said he would urge PM Narendra Modi to initiate cases against Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi.
Who said what:
Former Home Minister Shivraj Patil
I don't know what details were there in the chargesheet, have heard the witnesses turned hostile, neither we know what sort of cross-questioning was done.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi
Justice has not been done, NIA & Modi govt didn’t even appeal against bail that was given to accused within 90 days this was a complete biased investigation which will weaken our resolve to fight terrorism.
NIA is a deaf and blind tota (parrot). They didn’t appeal against bail given to accused, witness turned hostile after June 2014. The investigating officer couldn’t give proper statement so everything was done to fail the victims upshot is our fight against terrorism is weakened after today’s acquittals.
Former MHA Under Secretary RVS Mani
I had expected it. All the pieces of evidence were engineered, otherwise, there was no Hindu terror angle.
People who perpetrated attack (Mecca Masjid) were protected through misuse of the agency (NIA), this is what is alarming. How do you compensate those who suffered and were maligned? Will Congress or anyone else who propagated this theory and compensate them?
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot
It is now up to the Government to examine order and decide if a further appeal is required. As it is a judicial matter I would not like to comment on it.
