Main gate of the Hamidia Masjid where the blast had taken place on September 08, 2006 (File Photo) Malegaon: On the fifth anniversary of the 2006 Malegaon blast, Muslim leaders July 17 sat for a dharna inside the Qabristan - one of the blasts site, and demanded from the government to release the Muslim youths and arrest the actual perpetrators. "Today, July 17, 2011 is the fifth anniversary of the 2006 Malegaon blast that had occurred on Shab-e-Barat killing scores of innocent people. The blast was a double blow to the Muslims in Malegaon. For, it was the Muslims who were killed in the heinous incident and it was the Muslims who were wrongly framed and arrested in the case", the Kul Jamati Tanzeem leaders said in the letter addressed to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan. "Since the last five years, we are persuading your government for justice. In every meeting we had with those responsible at the government including you, we were promised of justice but they are yet to see light of the day", they wrote to the Chief Minister.

"In the meantime, Swami Aseemanand’s confessional statement once again proved – this time very strongly, that the Muslim youths were wrongly framed in the 2006 blast case and grave injustice has been done to them. This was in addition to the other proofs which we had presented to the government innumerable times in the past to substantiate the innocence of the Muslim youths", they added.



Expressing surprise over the government's lackluster attitude, they wrote, "While the government remains adamant on injustice, the innocent Muslim youths are languishing in jail for the crime they are not at all responsible of. Along with them, their families are also going through the trauma the extent of which can only be imagined."

"On the eve of the Shab-e-barat today – the 5th anniversary of the 2006 blast, while sitting for a dharna at the blast site, we members of the Kul Jamaati Tanzeem of Malegaon, once again demand that:

"Enough injustice has been done to the Muslim youths and now it is the time that your government takes quick action so that they are released immediately.



"They have lost valuable time in the prison because of the mistakes the investigating agencies had done. Hence the government should compensate them and their families.

"It is strange that while the innocent Muslim youths are in jail, the real culprits are enjoying freedom. Hence, immediate efforts should be taken so that the real culprits who were responsible of the 2006 blast are arrested and punished.

"It is also strange that even after existence of ample proofs, the government has not taken any step to ban the Hindutva organisations that are reportedly and as claimed by the investigating agencies are involved in terrorist activities. "Not taking any action against these organisations is not only a blatant double standard but also a clear threat to the National security. Hence we demand that these organisations are banned immediately and their activists who had been imparted trainings in terror activities are arrested and punished as per law."