National News
Congress criticises 9 years of BJP rule in Assam; terms it ‘inefficient, incompetent’

Guwahati, Feb 24: The Congress on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Assam over several issues, including the recent attack on its party MP Rakibul Hussain, while terming the nine years of the BJP rule in the northeastern state as “inefficient and incompetent”.
Jitendra Singh, the in-charge of the Congress in Assam, said: “As Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his two-day visit to Assam, the state has already experienced two major incidents of violence.
“We witnessed how BJP thugs were punching and kicking Assam police, and the police did not arrest them. Four days ago, our Lok Sabha MP, Rakibul Hussain, was brutally attacked by thugs in broad daylight in a busy marketplace, and the goons even attacked the police security officers and tried to snatch their weapons.”
He claimed that the state Congress president Bhupen Borah was also attacked in broad daylight.
“This sums up the BJP rule in Assam for 9 years – corrupt, inefficient, incompetent, rogue and divisive. The state is in deep crisis,” Singh added.
The Congress leader also claimed that the unemployment is at the peak during BJP’s regime and this is one of the reasons why law and order situation has deteriorated in Assam.
The opposition party also targeted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the issue of corruption, and raised several questions regarding the business ventures of the CM’s wife.
In a statement, the Congress said: “It is intriguing how Assam CM’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma becomes a business tycoon in just 4 years! She has allegedly acquired multiple tea gardens.”
The party said “additionally, she has expanded her business empire by acquiring a news portal, opening a leading fast food outlet, and establishing an international school. Her company reportedly received a central subsidy of Rs 10 crore. It is now common knowledge in the state that massive land scams allegedly involving the Chief Minister’s family members have taken place”.
Singh further said that even as rathole coal mining was banned by the National Green Tribunal, the illegal business was going on in several places in Assam that resulted in the death of nine labourers in Umrangso in Dima Hasao district.
“Kanika Hojai, wife of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Debolal Garlosa, is accused of running an illegal coal mine in Umrangso and has gone into hiding. A 2021 report by Justice Brojendra Prasad Katakey found rampant illegal mining in Digboi forest division, causing multiple fatal accidents and involving local authority complicity,” the Congress leader added.
National News
2 Teachers Killed, 10 Injured In Van-Truck Collision In Chhattisgarh’s Korba

Korba: Two women teachers were killed and ten other persons injured after a van in which they were travelling collided with a trailer truck in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district on Thursday, police said.
About The Accident
The accident occurred in the morning near Tanakhar village when 11 staffers and two students of Eklavya Model Residential School, run by the tribal development department, in Pondi Uproda village were heading to their institute from Katghora town, a police official said.
As per preliminary information, the van driver attempted to overtake another vehicle and ended up colliding with a truck, coming from the opposite direction.
A total of 12 occupants of the van sustained injuries, he said.
The victims were taken to the Community Health Centre Katghora, from where the seriously injured persons were referred to different hospitals, he said.
Two teachers, identified as Anjana Sharma (30), a resident of Delhi, and Manju Sharma (32) of Haryana, succumbed to their wounds during treatment at a hospital, he said.
The two deceased were staying in rented houses in Katghora.
Five injured persons have been admitted to a hospital in Korba, two in Bilaspur, and three others, who sustained minor injuries, in Katghora, he said.
A case has been registered and a probe is underway, he added.
Maharashtra
Supreme Court Stays Bombay High Court’s Acquittal in 2006 Mumbai Train Blasts Case

New Delhi, July 24, 2025 — The Supreme Court of India has issued a stay on the Bombay High Court’s recent decision to acquit 12 men previously convicted in the 2006 Mumbai suburban train bombings. The apex court, however, clarified that the accused will not need to return to jail while the legal process continues.
The move comes days after the Maharashtra government filed a challenge against the High Court’s ruling, expressing serious concern over the acquittal of all 12 individuals who had been found guilty nearly a decade earlier. The Supreme Court agreed to examine the appeal and put the acquittal order on hold until further notice.
Background of the Case
On July 11, 2006, a series of coordinated bomb blasts targeted local trains on Mumbai’s Western Railway line during evening rush hour. The attacks resulted in the deaths of around 190 people and left over 800 injured. It was one of the deadliest terror strikes in India’s history.
In 2015, a special court convicted 12 men under anti-terror laws, sentencing five to death and the remaining to life imprisonment. However, the Bombay High Court overturned these convictions in July 2025, citing weak and unreliable evidence, inconsistencies in witness testimonies, and procedural lapses in the investigation.
Supreme Court’s Intervention
Responding to the state’s petition, the Supreme Court noted the seriousness of the matter and temporarily suspended the High Court’s decision. The court stated that although the acquittal order is stayed, the accused who had already been released will not be required to surrender at this stage.
Government’s Stand
The Maharashtra government described the High Court’s judgment as deeply concerning, arguing that the earlier trial had followed due process and that crucial evidence—such as confessions and material recovered—was improperly dismissed. The government urged the Supreme Court to uphold the original convictions in the interest of justice for the victims and their families.
What Lies Ahead
The Supreme Court is expected to conduct a detailed review of the High Court’s findings and the prosecution’s evidence. The final verdict could have a significant impact on how terrorism-related cases are investigated and prosecuted in the future, especially with respect to the handling of confessional statements, forensic evidence, and procedural safeguards.
The case continues to be a matter of national attention due to its historical gravity and implications for the justice system. Families of the victims, legal experts, and civil rights advocates are all watching closely as the country’s top court re-evaluates one of India’s most complex terror cases.
Maharashtra
‘Gujarat Portion Of Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project To Be Completed By December 2027’: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

New Delhi: The Gujarat portion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project between Vapi and Sabarmati is planned to be completed by December 2027, while the entire 508 km project is expected to be completed by December 2029, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday.
However, the bullet train project is a very complex and technology-intensive and the exact timelines for its completion can only be reasonably ascertained after the completion of all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signalling & telecommunication and supply of trainsets, the minister added.
MAHSR is under execution with technical and financial assistance from the Japanese government. The project is passing through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati, the minister said.
A cumulative financial expenditure of Rs 78,839 crore has been incurred on the project till June 30, 2025, he said.
The total estimated cost of the MAHSR project is approximately Rs 1,08,000 crore, out of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81 per cent of the project cost which works out to Rs 88,000 crore while the balance 19 per cent cost amounting to Rs 20,000 crore will be funded through equity contribution from Ministry of Railways (50 per cent) and Maharashtra and Gujarat state governments (25 per cent each).
The delay in land acquisition in Maharashtra impacted the project till 2021. However, currently, the entire land (1389.5 hectares) for the MAHSR project has been acquired. The Final Location Survey and Geotechnical investigation has also been completed, and alignment finalised. All Statutory Clearances relating to wildlife, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Forest clearance have been obtained, and all the civil contracts of the project have been awarded, Vaishnaw said.
Till now, 392 km of pier construction, 329 km of girder casting and 308 km of girder launching have been completed. The work on the undersea tunnel (21 km approx.) has also started. In order to expand the high-speed rail (HSR) network in India beyond the MAHSR corridor and to meet the growing passenger demand between major cities of commercial and tourist importance, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), he added.
HSR projects are highly capital-intensive, and any decision to take up a new project is based on many factors such as technical feasibility, financial & economic viability, traffic demand and availability of funds & financing options. The commercial operation of the MAHSR project involves an affordable fare structure for the services, taking into account the socio-economic conditions of the clientele for optimum patronage of the HSR sectors, the minister added.
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