Taking strong exception to the expression 'Hindu terrorism' being used in regard to the suspects booked by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) - Sadhvi Pragya Singh , Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Dayanand Pandey- the Abhinav Bharat president Himani Savarkar told the gathering on Sunday night that the money collected would be used for the legal battle to defend and free the accused.

Savarkar, who also heads the Hindu Mahasabha, shared the platform with leaders of Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) at the meeting held at Shivaji Mandir in the heart of the city which is emerging as an alleged springboard of pro-Hindutva activism.

The leaders who spoke on the occasion accused the ATS of framing Lt Col Purohit, being prosecuted by Maharashtra ATS for alleged links with the September Malegaon blast, and also hailed him as Mangal Pandey, a revolutionary soldier of the 1857 upsurge during the British rule.

The city unit chief of Shiv Sena Nana Wadekar said, "We do not know whether the accused really planted bombs as alleged. But if they had done so, we are proud of them as it should be seen as an act in defence of Hindus."

He went on to recall the Sena supreme Bal Thackeray's statement in the wake of demolition of the Babri mosque at Ayodhya that "if my Sainiks have brought down the Masjid, I am proud of them." The speakers at the rally alleged that the ATS sleuths were subjecting the Malegaon accused to torture and humiliation at the behest of Congress government as the party was orchestrating a vilification campaign against Hindu Sadhvis and saints with an eye on the Muslim vote bank in the coming elections.

The rally was described by the speakers as the first public meeting of its kind organised in support of the Malegaon accused.

Representatives of Patit Pawan, a hard line pro Hindutva organisation presented a sword to Himani Savarkar, who said the money being collected would be deposited in a bank account under the name Hindu legal aid firm to fight court battles to give justice to the Malegaon accused.