VHP Demands Congress Apology After Nanded Blast Acquittal

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) criticized Congress following the acquittal of all accused in the 2006 Nanded blast case. A court in Nanded cleared the nine surviving accused, leading the VHP to demand an apology from Congress for allegedly labeling Hindus as terrorists during their rule.

The VHP on Sunday sharply criticized the Congress, calling the acquittal of the 2006 Nanded blast accused a significant blow to the party. They demanded that Congress apologize to Hindu society.

This response follows a sessions court decision in Maharashtra's Nanded, which acquitted all nine surviving accused in the 2006 blast case on Saturday.

VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal stated, "The Congress' agenda to portray Hindus as terrorists in this case is now exposed," further asserting that Congress and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad were similarly exposed in the Malegaon blast case.

After 19 years in court, the Nanded court's acquittal of the accused highlights what the VHP calls a "major embarrassment" for Congress regarding their actions during their rule.

The blast took place at Laxman Rajkondwar's home, with the investigation initially directed by the Maharashtra ATS before being taken over by the CBI. Defense lawyer Nitin Runwal pointed out that the prosecution failed to prove a bomb caused the explosion, suggesting other reasons like a gas cylinder blast.

At the time of the incident, both the Central and State governments were led by Congress, magnifying the political implications of the verdict.

(With inputs from agencies.)