Holding the Congress government in Rajasthan responsible for the acquittal of the accused in the Jaipur serial blasts case, the BJP on May 13 held dharnas and recited Hanuman Chalisa in parts of the city to mark the 15th anniversary of the bombings.
A series of blasts on May 13, 2008, killed 71 people and left 180 injured in Jaipur. Bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate.
The Rajasthan High Court in March this year acquitted four accused, who were awarded the death penalty by a lower court in 2019, on the ground of shoddy investigation. A fifth accused was acquitted by the lower court in 2019.
"The accused were acquitted due to weak prosecution. Those who should had been handed the death penalty were acquitted because of poor investigation and poor prosecution of the Congress government. The BJP stands with the families of the victims," State BJP president C. P. Joshi said at a dharna in Hawa Mahal area.
Another party leader said the BJP has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court on behalf of two family members of the blast victims against the Rajasthan High Court verdict.
Describing the dharnas as 'drama', Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said the BJP leaders were shedding "crocodile tears" 15 years after the blasts.
He said the BJP faced a humiliating defeat in Karnataka because it wanted to win the elections in the name of Bajrang Bali, who is with the Congress.
"Congress is the true 'bhakt' (devotee) of Bajrang Bali. The BJP wanted to win Karnataka elections in the name of Bajrang Bali, but wherever they recited the Hanuman Chalisa Congress candidate won," he said.
Khachariyawas accused the BJP of snatching food from people because of high inflation. “Their intentions are not good and therefore they are losing mass support,” he alleged.
A lower court in December 2019 awarded the death sentence to Mohammad Sarwar Azmi, Mohammad Saif, Mohammad Salman and Saifur Rahman. It acquitted Shahbaz Hussain, giving him the benefit of doubt.
The four given the death penalty challenged the lower court order in the Rajasthan High Court and a division bench acquitted them on March 29. It also upheld the acquittal of Shahbaz Hussain.
The court termed the case a classic example of institutional failure resulting in botched/flowed/shoddy investigation. Recently, the state government also filed an SLP in the Supreme Court.
