Pune | Not even an enemy can question my patriotism and loyalty towards the nation, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case after a bruising 17-year battle, said here on Sunday amid a rousing welcome by kin and well-wishers as he arrived home.
A special Mumbai court on Thursday acquitted Purohit, former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and five others who were accused of involvement in a blast that killed six and injured 101 in Malegaon in Nashik district on September 29 that year.
Outside Shantisheela Housing Society on Law College Road, where he lives, the military officer was mobbed by friends, family members, supporters, members of various right-wing organisations and others.
He rode an open jeep, accompanied by his wife Aparna, amid the beating of 'dhol-tasha' (traditional drums) and showering of flower petals, with participants raising slogans of "Jai Shree Ram" and "Sanatan dharm ki jai" as well those hailing his acquittal. Several of them waved saffron flags.
Addressing the gathering, a visibly emotional Purohit said, "I never imagined that I would get such a grand welcome from all of you. I am speechless and unable to gather my thoughts or express my feelings."
"One can only imagine the pain one endures when false allegations are levelled. But I never had any difficulty in facing them," he said defiantly.
Purohit said he could never tell his wife and mother about the torture he endured and the insults he was subjected to but they always understood.
Through all these years, his kin, friends and a huge number of well-wishers always stood by him, the Lt Colonel added.
"As a soldier, what I can say with conviction is that not even an enemy can question my patriotism and loyalty towards the nation. During my submission (in court), I insisted that I be called anything but not aatankwadi (terrorist) or deshdrohi (traitor)," he said.
Taking about the years of incarceration, Purohit said his health deteriorated after arrest as he was mentally unable to come to terms with the questions that were being raised about him.
Purohit, a fitness enthusiast for long, further said, "During one of the early court meetings after my arrest, my wife saw my condition and asked whether I was still exercising. I said no. She then took special permission from the court, arranged for some exercise equipment, and encouraged me to work out daily."
Earlier, after arriving at his housing complex, Purohit offered prayers at the Hanuman temple.
Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, who was present at the site, said Purohit's acquittal was a "tight slap" from the court to those who coined the term "bhagwa aatankwad" (saffron terror).
"Just like films such as The Kerala Story and The Kashmir Files, a movie titled Malegaon Stories should be made to expose these fake narratives," she added.
