Salman Soz

Politics & Economics, author, commentator, @incindia, Ex-@worldbank, Ex-DoubleClick; @yale @northeastern @ststephensclg [email protected]

[Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi]

साहिल हाथ में तिरंगा लेकर बस साफ़-सुथरी परीक्षा और मेहनत का फल मांग रहा था - पुलिस ने बंदूक उठाई और छर्रे दाग कर बुरी तरह घायल कर दिया।

ये अंग्रेज़ों का ज़ुल्म नहीं, आज़ाद भारत की मोदी सरकार की बर्बरता है - जहाँ अपना हक़ मांगते मासूम छात्रों को न्याय नहीं, छर्रे मिलते हैं।

[Mallikarjun Kharge @kharge]

Students are on ground zero, because Modi Govt is now using these much-respected universities as propaganda outlets to bully them.

Instead of making Dharmendra Pradhan resign and then start a meaningful discussion on the Education System, Modi-Shah have resorted to denigerating our centre's of learning.

Now you know why our youth are on the streets.
Now you know how BJP damaged the Education system in the past 12 years!

[Rachna @RS_dilli]

He had said in that old BBC interview on Gujarat that the only thing he wished he did differently was media management. It seems his thought process has remained consistent through all these years.
He’ll do/their party will do what they feel is right and the rest has to be managed through media, and now social media too.

[Sushant Singh @SushantSin]

Well said, Mahesh Bhatt.

https://t.co/l0kzEMPpDR

[Jairam Ramesh @Jairam_Ramesh]

FRIENDS, बस फ्रंट कैमरा और आधी रात का समय नया था!!

[Harsh Mander @harsh_mander]

Pellet guns were a crime against humanity in Kashmir where they blinded hundreds of young people
They were a crime against humanity when used against protesting farmers in 2024
They are a crime against humanity when used against protesting students in 2026

[Sayantan Ghosh @sayantan_gh]

Speaking as an eyewitness:

The scenes of clashes with the police in Kolkata were not caused by the protesters. The march was overwhelmingly peaceful, with mostly young people coming together in solidarity against the alleged police excesses in Delhi and the NEET paper leak issue. The police, too, largely exercised restraint because the protest remained peaceful.

The shoe-throwing and bottle-throwing at the police was carried out by a group of local rowdies who had no connection with the protest. The organisers repeatedly appealed to everyone not to indulge in any violence and ensured that the students did not participate in such acts.

I know the narrative that will likely be pushed, but the record must be set straight.

It was a massive protest, yet peaceful from both sides. The provocations came from local hooligans and goons who were not part of the demonstration. These same individuals also targeted journalists covering the event.

I personally intervened to help a Zee 24 Ghanta reporter. When a group of goons attempted to intimidate and attack a woman reporter from Zee 24 Ghanta, it was the students who stepped in. They formed a human chain around her, ensuring she could continue her live broadcast without being harassed. The footage is there for anyone to verify.

Whatever political conclusions people draw, the facts of what happened on the ground should not be distorted.

[Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) @internetfreedom]

Statement : The blocking of BitChat's code on GitHub is unconstitutional and authoritarian.

New Delhi, 24 July 2026

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) condemns the order issued by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs, directing GitHub to remove the code repositories of BitChat.

The order, Notice No. 11072601011432, was issued at 11:16 pm on 23 July 2026 under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 read with Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, 2021. The order directs GitHub to disable access to three repositories, including the Android application and its release files, within three hours. It threatens the platform with loss of safe harbour and criminal prosecution. No copy was published by the Government of India. The public learnt of it from a post by @jack, whose team develops BitChat. Censorship in India now comes to light through disclosure by the censored.

Since 17 July 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended mobile internet around Jantar Mantar as per public reports about five times, most recently within a 1.5 kilometre radius from 4 pm until midnight on 23 July. That radius takes in Janpath and parts of Connaught Place. Reports describe signal jammers at the protest site and people walking two kilometres before their phones work. Inside that zone a student separated from her group during a detention drive cannot send a message to say where she is. Thousands of students and young people have camped at Jantar Mantar since June, seeking accountability for examination irregularities. Permission for their march to Parliament was refused. Metro stations were shut and also internet connectivity has been blocked.

BitChat is an open source application built for exactly this situation. It passes messages from phone to phone over Bluetooth, without mobile networks or a central server. It is striking that the order does not identify a single unlawful message. It objects to what BitChat is. In its own words, the application is dangerous because it enables communication "even during network restrictions" and can "circumvent lawful restrictions" during "internet shutdowns". Hence, the government's objection is that citizens can speak to one another while it has switched the internet off.

The order is illegal on at least four grounds.

1. Section 79(3)(b) is not a blocking power. In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) 5 SCC 1, the Supreme Court read down the provision. Intermediaries may be required to act only on a court order, or a government notification confined to the grounds under Article 19(2) of the Constitution. Blocking is governed exclusively by Section 69A and the Blocking Rules, 2009, which require a hearing and reasons recorded in writing, subject to review. Directions issued under Section 79(3)(b), Rule 3(1)(d) and the Sahyog Portal evade these safeguards, and constitutional challenges to this parallel regime are pending before High Courts.

2. The reasons in the order are circular. The order asserts that the repositories contain "information which is prohibited under any law" without naming any such information, and rests on what the application is "capable of" enabling. Anticipated misuse of a communications tool is not a lawful basis to prohibit the tool. By this logic a telephone exchange could be sealed.

3. The order cites Section 43 of the IT Act, a civil compensation provision, alongside conspiracy and abetment offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against a platform that hosts code.

4. A three hour deadline issued close to midnight forecloses legal assessment and recourse, and fails the proportionality standard in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020) 3 SCC 637.

The order also fails on its own terms as deleting a repository does not delete the application from any phone that carries it, and the mesh keeps functioning without servers. What the takedown actually prevents is scrutiny of the underlying code.

IFF demands that the Government of India:

1. Withdraw Notice No. 11072601011432 dated 23 July 2026 issued to GitHub.
2. Publish every takedown direction issued under Section 79(3)(b), Rule 3(1)(d) and the Sahyog Portal, with the reasons recorded for each.
3. Restore full connectivity around Jantar Mantar, publish all suspension orders, and disclose the legal authority for the deployment of jammers.

We stand with the developers and the young protesters whose speech this order seeks to silence.

[Salman Soz @SalmanSoz]

Between the Prime Minister urging his colleagues to get active on insta (as opposed to doing a better job) and the Finance Minister making tone deaf remarks about the positives of paper leaks (more preparation time), the government is simply a disaster. Astounding fall.

[Salman Soz @SalmanSoz]

Not sure why this is being tagged as sensitive content. All citizens should see what is obvious. Pellet guns have been used indiscriminately in Kashmir and now their use in the national capital could be a harbinger of bad times ahead. Let’s nip this evil in the bud. Speak up against such lethal methods used against citizens. These pellet guns can cause lasting damage. Don’t tolerate them.

[Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi]

20 जुलाई को दिल्ली में शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन कर रहे 19 साल के साहिल के चेहरे पर दिल्ली पुलिस ने पेलेट गन से हमला किया।

साहिल दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय का छात्र है मगर परिवार को सहारा देने के लिए वो पार्ट-टाइम कार भी चलाता है। वो खुद 2025 के SSC दिल्ली कॉन्स्टेबल पेपर लीक का शिकार है। अब उसे डर है कि SSC ने फिर से उसी एजेंसी को ठेका दिया है और फिर से पेपर लीक हो जाएगा।

इंसाफ़ और बेहतर भविष्य की मांग के साथ वह प्रदर्शन में शामिल हुआ था। आज हालत ये है कि उसकी एक आंख की रोशनी हमेशा के लिए जाने का खतरा है।

ये सज़ा मिलती है हमारे छात्रों को सवाल पूछने और जवाबदेही मांगने की।

हम साहिल के साथ हैं। हम जवाबदेही मांग रहे हर छात्र के साथ हैं।

मोदी जी, देश के बच्चों से अपने इस गुनाह की माफ़ी मांगिए, इसके दोषियों पर कड़ी कार्रवाई कीजिए और धर्मेंद्र प्रधान को तुरंत बर्खास्त कीजिए।

[Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor]

This is utterly appalling. Even in the days of the JP Movement leading up to the Emergency, there was no bar by the @UnivofDelhi on students joining any of his protests, and a couple of members of my Union Cabinet at St Stephen’s, including the late Chandan Mitra, openly did so.

If one of India’s foremost public universities is allowed to threaten its students and faculty with significant consequences if they attend a protest, it has a chilling effect on democratic speech and expression. Most DU students are not so privileged as to ignore such a sternly-worded warning without fearing that their academic or professional prospects might suffer if they attended the protest.

A university is meant to teach critical thinking and independent assessment of issues, not to stifle these very qualities. Shame on those at the @UnivofDelhi who saw fit to issue such a tweet. They are unworthy of holding any position at an institution of higher learning in a democracy.

[Preeti Choudhry @PreetiChoudhry]

Safdarjung Hospital medical report of one the injured protester confirms Pellet gun injury - news break by India Today Reporter @inksleuth

[Salman Soz @SalmanSoz]

Universities are meant for the kind of idealism that fades somewhat for most people as we grow older. Of course, the protests by students are not just about idealism but also about a real threat to their future well being. Instead of standing by the students, major universities are issuing veiled threats to students.

This should not be surprising. The RSS and BJP have packed institutions of higher learning with persons who are committed first and foremost to the establishment and not to academic freedom and student welfare.

The question for our society is if this is acceptable. I know it is not but what are we going to do about it. As @RahulGandhi has made clear to Delhi university, there will be accountability for the kinds of threats that universities are issuing. But for that to happen, we need to defeat the BJP comprehensively.

In the meantime, we should not give in to fear. I think the way vast sections of society are finally showing signs of not being afraid of the BJP, that is encouraging. With non violence as our method, no institution of the government can curtail our constitutional right to free expression and free assembly.

The university that carries the name of the greatest Indian statesman should be ashamed of its statement. But that might be too much to ask of these small men and women who are beholden to the RSS and BJP. We should reject this statement and focus on what is important for young Indians - accountability of the education minister and uniformed and non uniformed people who brutally attacked student protesters. Then we need to work on reforming the system. Is that too much to ask?

[Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) @JNU_official_50]

Advisory
All stakeholders of JNU’s epistemic community are advised to act responsibly and prioritize their personal safety. In accordance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India’s directions on public demonstrations, you are requested to refrain from participating in or visiting gatherings at or around Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

Please exercise responsibility on social media. Violations may invite legal consequences under applicable laws as well as disciplinary action under the University’s code of conduct.

You are also encouraged to uphold the values of academic responsibility and responsible citizenship.

[P. Chidambaram @PChidambaram_IN]

Why was Mr Vineet Joshi holding 5 crucial posts before his transfer last night? --

Secretary, Higher Education Dept
Secretary, School Education Dept
Chairman, UGC
Chairman, CBSE
Chairman, NTA

One Minister,
One Secretary/Chairman!

Mr Joshi may have held some of these posts in an Acting capacity, but surely some one else could have been given in-charge instead of burdening one person

[Mohammed Zubair @zoo_bear]

Hello @UnSubtleDesi, Clipkatwi. Here's the full video.

[Salman Soz @SalmanSoz]

Yes, Dharmendra Pradhan should be sacked. But we also need action against those policemen and plainclothes goons who brutally attacked protesters, especially young women. That is how we can work towards reforms. Start with accountability.

[Congress @INCIndia]

We Want Justice ✊

[ravish kumar @ravish_journo]

आंदोलन को रोकने के लिए मेट्रो बंद करना बैड आइडिया है। इससे लोग कार चलाएँगे और E20 को लेकर आंदोलन होने लगेगा।

[vir sanghvi @virsanghvi]

Every opposition MP who sold himself or herself and defected to the government should hang their heads in shame.
These young people are facing brutality in the streets because the people they elected to represent them were greedy little cowards who took the cash & switched sides

[T M Krishna @tmkrishna]

This is batshit crazy!
If the GOI follows up on madam's story, then henceforth the government will encourage exam paper leaks so that students take advantage of the leak and work harder for the re-exam! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi]

How dare you threaten students for exercising their democratic rights?

Please note, you are the ones that will be held accountable when the time comes.