‘PoK was surrendered…': Sudhanshu Trivedi's fiery response to Rahul Gandhi
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Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
It started in a jail cell. Now, it fights to free those wrongfully jailed
It started in a jail cell. Now, it fights to free those wrongfully jailed Mohammed Wajihuddin TNN Jul 26, 2025, 21:27 IST IST Besides its work on the 7/11 case, the Innocence Network India is helping other terror accused with legal aid A narrow, rain-soaked lane in Mumbai's Vikhroli leads to a small ground-floor room. Inside, a few chairs, a chatai, shelves of books, and maps of India and the world hang on the wall. This unassuming space is the 'secretariat' of Innocence Network India , a coalition of lawyers, prison‑rights activists and civil society groups who work for 'the rights of those wrongfully prosecuted or convicted, especially under terrorism charges .' On July 21, when the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 men convicted of the 2006 Mumbai train blasts — also known as the 7/11 bombings — some credit was due to this little-known coalition that kept the pressure alive, along with the efforts of the Maharashtra unit office of Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind . Wahid Shaikh, who helped found the network, is visibly happy, and yet combative, seated in his two-room tenement. It's where Shaikh, a school teacher in Nagpada, central Mumbai, spends most of his after-school hours running Acquit Undertrial, his one-man YouTube channel that amplifies cases of alleged wrongful prosecution and demands compensation for acquitted convicts. It was here that he recorded a congratulatory message for the accused and their families the night before the verdict. 'I was 100% sure that the High Court would exonerate them. I recorded it before the order was pronounced,' says Shaikh. He should know. He was one of 13 men arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for the train blasts. He spent nine years in Arthur Road Jail before being acquitted in 2015. The only one to walk free at the time.
The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Govt. for radical change in education sector: Deputy CM Bhatti
Fundamental rights in a democratic society — freedom of expression and debate — which have been missing in Osmania University for a decade, were restored with Congress coming to power in December 2023, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Saturday. The government's doors were opened to all viewpoints and people's fear to express their opinion vanished, he said, recalling his interactions with women, students and diverse groups in his Adilabad-Khammam People's March. For Mr. Vikramarka, universities should encourage ideological diversity — from Marxism to Maoism to Gandhianism — as that's what constitutes a true university, he said, and asserted that coercion, pressure or suppression are not part of the State government's policy. 'I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,' he quoted French writer and philosopher Voltaire, to supplement his idea. According to Mr. Vikramarka, who was speaking at the annual day celebrations of University College of Arts & Social Sciences, Osmania University here, the government's focus is on bringing about radical changes in the education sector. He said that the journey began with the appointments of Vice Chancellors, faculty recruitment, hike in diet charges and cosmetic charges in State residential schools, the common diet menu scheme recommended by top doctors and nutritionists, and allocation of ₹500 crore for Koti Women's College, now renamed as Veeranari Chakali Ilamma University. The next thing in the pipeline is building skills. Constructing Telangana's first skill university in 'Future City', 100 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) being transformed as Advanced Technology Centres, and Young India Residential Schools in every constituency with an outlay of ₹200 crore each. He maintained that real development in the State is possible only through education, and especially English medium education to withstand global competition. Findings from the comprehensive socio-economic, political, educational and caste survey conducted in the State, he said, also showed that education is more crucial for development than land, which is a foundational resource for development. Mr. Vikramarka was all praise for the legacy of Osmania University which produced former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, and many bureaucrats, scientists and politicians for Telangana and beyond. Accepting Vice Chancellor Kumar Molugaram and Principal C. Kaseem's request for an open auditorium in the university, he promised recommending it to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. He also assured that more job notifications would be released soon.
The Wire
17 minutes ago
- The Wire
Telangana BJP's Internal Rivalry Subsides but Larger Issue of One-Upmanship Remains
Politics Talking to The Wire, new Telangana BJP president Ramchander Rao dismissed the conflict between Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Eatala Rajender as minor. Hyderabad: After a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on July 24, the newly elected BJP president of Telangana N. Ramchander Rao announced here on July 25 that the controversy surrounding a tussle between two of the party MPs from the state – Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Eatala Rajender – had ended. The former is also the Union minister of state for home. The issue had threatened to snowball into another major embarrassment for the party on the heels of Ramchander Rao's election as the state president a fortnight ago. Rao stole a march in the election ahead of all other aspirants at a juncture when the backward classes card is ruling the roost in state politics, especially with the decision of the Congress government to extend 42% reservation for the backward classes in the upcoming local body elections. Rao's election was marred by one more controversy. MLA T. Raja Singh quit primary membership of the party after he failed to get approval to enter the contest for presidentship. His resignation was readily accepted by the central committee of the party. He too belonged to a community which is listed among OBCs in parts of the country. Talking to The Wire, Rao dismissed the conflict between Sanjay and Rajender as minor and something which could be erased. But, he admitted that this was the first time a rupture in party has been visible to the public. He was evasive to a question on whether the party would seek the disqualification of Raja Singh as a member of the assembly upon his resignation from party. A rivalry unlike any seen in BJP before Bandi Sanjay and Rajender were among a handful of backward class leaders of the party who nursed ambitions for the party president's post but the national leadership gunned for Ramchander Rao, a Brahmin. Sanjay had already served one term as BJP state president a few years ago. Telangana BJP leaders Bandi Sanjay Kumar (L) and Etela Raja (R). Photo: X/@bandisanjay_bjp; Facebook/EatalaRajenderOfficial Sanjay and Rajender had common roots in Huzurabad assembly constituency which was part of Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat represented by the former. Rajender was MLA of the assembly segment for 20 years until his defeat in the last elections. He, however, won the parliament elections within six months last year from far off Malkajgiri, abutting the state capital. On a routine visit to Huzurabad for a bicycle distribution programme, Sanjay made light of the resignation of one of Rajender's supporters as the party in-charge of the assembly constituency. Hinting at Rajender, he said that no one was above the party and that every BJP leader has won their seat thanks to the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rajender shot back at Sanjay, asking him to identify who backed him for him to be able to speak this way. Between the two is the race for domination in Huzurabad. While Sanjay was a two-time MP of Karimnagar parliamentary constituency, including Huzurabad, Rajender considers himself invincible in the segment, with a large following, although he no longer enjoys political ground there. The sense seems to be that Sanjay has scuttled Rajender's reach in the segment. Rajender was already simmering with discontent at being sidelined in the party after a hype was created that he could be the backward class chief ministerial candidate. When he joined the BJP after quitting the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) in 2021, his followers claimed that he was even being considered for a junior Union minister's post. But he was not even considered as minister after his election to the Lok Sabha. The elevation of Ramchander Rao as state president must have been heartburn for Rajender in these circumstances. At the same time, Sanjay has been projecting himself as a frontrunner for the post when Rao's term expires in 2028, months before the next assembly elections. Sanjay was relieved as the state BJP president ahead of the last assembly elections and hopes to make a comeback now. Several believe that the BJP is likely to go with a backward class leader closer to election time. Eatala Rajender. Photo: X (Twitter)/@Eatala_Rajender Rajender's party presidentship ambitions have baffled leaders in the party as its constitution does not permit anyone to assume office without a minimum of 10 years as ordinary members. They should hold active membership at least three times, translating to six years of service in that capacity. Active membership is given to those who enrol a minimum of 50 ordinary members. Rajender does not fulfil either conditions as he joined the party only four years ago. The BJP leadership in Telangana has had a tough time in convincing its MPs, MLAs and MLCs on various issues since a majority of them joined from other parties. Barring Sanjay and Union coal minister G. Kishan Reddy, the remaining six MPs are newcomers. All of them have a sound track record in electoral politics. In fact, Rajender and another MP, D.K. Aruna, have also served as ministers. Similarly, all but one of the eight MLAs and all three MLCs are also from other parties. Ramchander Rao who was MLC five years ago, is someone who fits the BJP's criteria. Rao had a four-decade association with BJP, rising from the ranks of the RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. There were other home grown leaders like former MLAs M. Dharma Rao and Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, but they were sidestepped. The aspiration for the BJP's state president had soared among backward class leaders with the government's reservation move. The state unit of the BJP has also supported the quota but stopped short of taking up the 42% demand with the national leadership. Two Bills – one on education and employment and the other on local bodies – passed by the assembly seeking relaxation of the 50% ceiling on reservations are pending with the Union government. If the demand is met, the reservations for backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will go up to 63%. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
