Named “Ulema Express — Azamgarh to L/18 Batla House”, the train was chartered by Ulema Council. Among the passengers were people whose relatives had been named as accused in terror cases.

They all resented the “terrorist” label, believed their “boys” were innocent and had been framed by police, and wanted a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter, which took place in Delhi on September 19, 2008.

Maulana Aamir Rashadi, head of the Azamgarh-based madrasa Jamaat-ur-Rashad and convener of the Ulema Council, said only a judicial probe can bring out facts of the Batla House incident. Leading the group to Delhi for a dharna at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, Rashidi termed himself as one of the victims of the “bias”. His son Talha Amir was arrested by Mumbai’s Anti-Terrorist Squad from Nagpur Railway Station on December 21 last but was granted bail by court.

Talking to The Indian Express, Rashidi, however, could not hide his political ambitions. “The Ulema Council has decided to field its candidates from Azamgarh and Lalganj constituency in the coming Lok Sabha polls,” he said. “The council has decided to field its candidates as we have no other options. We cannot trust political parties,” he added.

Not ruling out an alliance with smaller parties, including the Left, Rashidi said: “We are open to all options with a rider that we will take support and not lend it.” Claiming that the Council consisted of intellectuals, its co-convener Tahir Madni said, “We are smart enough to contest election and lead by example.” Maulana Mahboob Alam Qasmi, another founder member said though “our job is to educate, for a while, we have decided to switch over to active politics”. For others, it was the future of their relatives that was uppermost on their minds. “Is it possible that a majority of the so-called terrorists come from one small place?” asked one. “My son went to Delhi for education and he was framed,” said an emotional Siraj Ahmed, father of Shahzad who is wanted by the Delhi Police in a terror-related case.

Shakeel Ahmed, relative of another wanted man, vent his ire on the government for conferring Ashok Chakra on Inspector Mohan Chandra Sharma, who was killed in the Batla House encounter. “How can government rush in with a decision when even the charge-sheet has not been filed?” he asked.

Not for them some obvious questions, like why the police of several states would target so many innocent people, or why the same police which “framed the innocent” had let off others, like Talha Amir.