‘Live and let live’: Bombay HC allows Hindu organisation to felicitate terror accused Pragya Thakur

The Bombay High Court on Friday allowed a Hindu organisation to felicitate Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pragya Singh Thakur, who is a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, at an event on March 30.

A bench of Justices Ravindra Ghughe and Ashwin Bhobe allowed the Sakal Hindu Samaj to felicitate Thakur during an event celebrating the Hindu festival of Gudi Padwa on March 30 at the Malegaon city in the Nashik district. The bench said that the event can take place between 7 am and 5 pm, subject to several conditions.

Gudi Padwa is observed on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the new year according to the Hindu calendar.

Thakur, who was also the Bhopal MP from 2019 to 2024, is set to be conferred with a “Hindu Veer” award during the event on March 30.

The Sakal Hindu Samaj had on February 18 applied to the Malegaon tehsildar for permission for the event. On March 25, the tehsildar told the coordinator of the organisation that based on a report by the local police expressing concerns that the event could disturb law and order, permission for the event had been refused.

The Sakal Hindu Samaj claimed before the High Court that the denial...

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