The Centre has rejected the Maharashtra government's proposal to ban right wing group Abhinav Bharat, which is accused of carrying out the bomb attack at Malegaon in 2008. The decision has been taken by the home ministry after it came to the conclusion that the group has not been involved in any terrorist or anti-national activity in recent years.
Former Union minister and controversial Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anantkumar Hegde has once again stoked a row by calling the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi a "drama". However, this is not the first time a leader from the ruling party has insulted the Father of the Nation. Here are other instances when BJP leaders took a swipe at Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
In a statement that is expected to erupt a huge political row, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Sunday, "The RSS and BJP are running terrorist training camps to spread Hindu terrorism."
Alleged Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist Sunil Joshi wanted to kill Justice U C Banerjee who headed an inquiry commission on Godhra train burning case, and had even conducted reconnaissance of his house in Kolkata, according to a witness in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case.
Sushilkumar Shinde's deeply prejudiced and communal stewardship of the Union ministry of home affairs needs to be condemned by all right-thinking persons, notes B Raman.
In a new twist to the case relating to sensational murder of right wing activist Sunil Joshi, the National Investigation Agency Wednesday alleged Lokesh Sharma and Rajendra Chowdhary, accused in Malegaon and Samjhauta Express blast cases, had killed him.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and the Sunil Joshi murder case, has been diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a report from the Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital in Bhopal. A mammography test on her confirmed the ailment on Wednesday, doctors attending on her said.
A 22-year-old army jawan was killed in a landmine blast in Jammu and Kashmir's Naushera region on Monday, family sources said on Wednesday.
Investigations into right-wing terror network in the country have led sleuths of the national Investigation Agency to suspect that some blasts in Jammu in 2004 were carried out by the group which was involved in Samjhauta train and Malegaon blasts.
The family members of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, accused in the Malegaon blasts case, have decided not to cremate her father unless she is granted permission to attend the funeral.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday sought the reply of the Union government on a petition filed by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, challenging the constitutional validity of the National Investigation Agency.
The Bombay high court Friday asked Maharashtra government whether it had any objection in granting bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast, on medical grounds.
The Bombay high court has directed the National Investigation Agency to file its reply on a petition challenging its constitutional validity. Justice A S Oka was hearing a petition filed by Malegaon blasts accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur challenging the constitutional validity of the setting up of the NIA.
Malegaon blast accused Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit was not authorised to infiltrate into any right wing group including 'Abhinav Bharat' as a military intelligence officer, army officials said on Wednesday rejecting his claims in this regard.
Lt Col Purohit, it is now being reported quoting statements made by officers in the court of inquiry, had actually infiltrated Hindu radical outfit Abhinav Bharat while being posted at Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh to snoop in on plans to carry out terror strikes in India.
The bail plea filed by Malegaon blasts accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh will be heard on December 14 by the Bombay high court.
The bail application filed by key accused in the Malegaon 2008 blast Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on medical ground was on Thursday rejected by the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court on Thursday.
'We want the Commission to finish its work; the issue it is investigating is too crucial for its work to be left incomplete.'
Right-wing organisations are holding a five-day conference at Ramnathi, Goa -- headquarters of the Sanatan Sanstha -- from June 10 to June 14 to draw up a timetable for the "formation of a Hindu nation and protection of Hindutva and Hindu organisations". Sanatan Sanstha had hit headlines in October 2009 for its links with Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, after the death of two people in a scooter bomb blast at Margao on the eve of Diwali.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has condemned a "totally false and baseless propaganda" by certain media organisations that the Supreme Court pulled up its chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday during the hearing of a case in connection with the Malegaon blasts. "During the hearing in the Supreme Court, there was not even a mention of Bhagwat's name," RSS publicity chief Manmohan Vaidya said in a statement.
It seems like the bicycle has once again become the vehicle of terror. Terrorists have often chosen bicycles to plant bombs in the past, including the 2008 Jaipur blasts, that killed scores of people.
The Bombay high court on Thursday permitted Sadhvi Pragya Singh, accused in the Malegaon 2008 blast case, to travel by an air-conditioned compartment to attend proceedings in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh in connection with the Sunil Joshi murder case trial.
The new Lok Sabha will have 300 MPs who have been elected for the first time to the Lower House.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and lodged in the Nashik prison was hospitalised on Saturday.
A local court on Tuesday allowed the National Investigation Agency to compare next week forensic evidence collected in Samjhauta Express train blast case with that of bomb attacks in Malegaon, Hyderabad and Ajmer, in which the role of right-wing Hindu extremists is suspected.
In what can be only be called an utter embarrassment for the National Investigating Agency, two accused in the Malegaon and Mecca Masjid blasts were granted bail by the courts in a span of five days, due to failure on the agency's part to file a chargesheet in the stipulated period of 90 days, as mandated by the Code of Criminal Procedure. Vicky Nanjappa analyses the failure
Maulana Abdul Hamid Azhari, president of Kul Jamaati Tanzeem, has been leading the fight to secure justice for these men. In an interview with Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, he says the primary focus of his organisation is to help the youth make up for the precious years they have lost while languishing behind bars.
National Investigating Agency on Monday filed another appeal in a local court in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh seeking the transfer of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker Sunil Joshi murder case to a special court in Bhopal. The court has posted the matter for hearing on August 9.
Mother of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, prime accused in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case, on Tuesday said that her daughter had been "falsely implicated" and was "innocent".
In her petition filed before the high court, Thakur, who is currently lodged in the Byculla jail in Mumbai, said she is ready to incur the cost of both rail and/or air fare if there is any technical or procedural hitch in the same, as her safety and security is paramount.
A Mumbai court on Saturday rejected the plea of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, seeking a direction to authorities that she be taken to Bhopal either by a plane or in an AC compartment of train for appearance in a murder case trial there.
On a petition filed by the National Investigation Agency challenging the verdict of its special court in Samjhauta Express blast case, the Punjab and Haryana high court issued a notice to accused Aseemanand for November 8.
In the second part of the three-part interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Gatade says that only continuous vigil by people would ensure that the law of the land remains supreme.
Although these revelations are not directly connected to the ongoing investigations into the Malegaon, Mecca Masjid, Ajmer or Samjautha Express blasts case, investigating agencies are keen to find out more since it indicates that there was a clear split in the right-wing terror network.
Investigative agencies are finally looking at the possibility of a Hindutva terror network. Aseemanand's alleged confession and the earlier arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit have shown the trail of the Hindutva terror network, which has turned the course of investigations into the bombings of Malegaon, Samjhauta Express, Ajmer Sharif and Mecca Masjid bomb blast cases.
Meanwhile, Popat Shinde, the prime suspect who also suffered burn injuries in the gruesome incident, has been shifted to Nashik Civil Hospital.
The Nationalist Congress Party on Monday demanded ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha and right wing group Abhinav Bharat for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities in the country.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Monday came in defence of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, prime accused in the Malegaon blasts, and called the imposition of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against them as 'political conspiracy'.
Notwithstanding the Centre's decision to hand over 2008 Malegaon blast probe to the National Investigation Agency, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad on Thursday filed a charge sheet alleging that Abhinav Bharat activist Praveen Mutalik was the key conspirator in the bombings that left six people dead.
The brother of Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur attempted suicide in south-east Delhi on Wednesday, alleging that he was being 'harassed' by investigating agencies.Ananth Brahmachari consumed poison and was found unconscious in Jangpura locality on Wednesday afternoon, police sources said.He was rushed to AIIMS where he is currently undergoing treatment, they said.investigating agencies in connection with his sister's alleged association in terrorist acts.