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Amid sex CD controversy, Hardik Patel accepts Congress formula; to announce final decision later in the day

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Hardik Patel

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) accepted the Congress formula to get constitutionally tenable reservation for Patidars, two videos of the Patidar leader have started doing the rounds.

On Monday, a sex video allegedly featuring Hardik Patel had surfaced and was aired on local Gujarati TV channels. Hardik had denied that it was he in the video and called it an expected ploy to dent his image at the time of elections in Gujarat.

The video, reportedly shot on May 16 earlier this year, shows a male bearing a close resemblance to Hardik Patel with a woman in a hotel room. Hardik was attending PAAS core committee meeting in Gandhinagar when the video went viral.

Another video of the Patidar reservation agitation leader went viral on social media on Tuesday, media reports said.

The video shows a man resembling Hardik, with two other men and a woman in a hotel room. Shot with a hidden camera, the video is allegedly from May 22, a day after Hardik had undertaken the Nyay Yatra in Hota. While the male who looks like Hardik is seen mostly lying on the bed, the others seem to be consuming liquor sitting on the floor.

Rival political parties reacted predictably to the videos. The BJP said that Hardik stands exposed before the Patidar community. The Congress accused the BJP of resorting to character assassination ahead of the elections.

Hardik, who had said a few days ago that his opponents could release a sex tape to defame him, accused the BJP of being behind the video and playing dirty politics. Hardik said on Monday, “I have said earlier too that such allegations are going to be made (ahead of polls). Our core committee was meeting today to decide (on Congress’s proposals offering reservation to Patidars). This is just the beginning. This is election time. Our agitation is going strong. Winds of changes are sweeping Gujarat, and such allegations will be made.”

He said that BJP members will make even worse attempts to defame him going ahead. He alleged that the video was made in Bangkok, and vowed to take necessary legal steps. His supporters claimed the video was morphed.

Patel said it was a conspiracy against him by the ruling BJP, which was “known to be adept at this”. He pointed out that sometime ago, BJP insiders floated such a video of one of their own leaders Sanjay Joshi.

It is not for the first time that attempts have been made to tarnish Hardik Patel’s image. In 2015, a sex CD was released soon after he had launched the agitation to demand quota in government jobs for the Patel-Patidars. It was not clear whether the person seen in the video was Hardik. However, the clip labelled him as such. The Patidar leader did not refute or challenge the video clip even then.

BJP denied Hardik Patel’s allegation. “The BJP has nothing to do with the sex CD. We don’t indulge in such dirty games. But if Hardik Patel says it’s a fake video, why doesn’t he file a police complaint?” asked BJP leader and union minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Meanwhile, Jignesh Mevani, a Dalit leader in Gujarat, on Tuesday came out in support of Hardik Patel saying that “sex was a fundamental right and no one has the right to breach anyone’s privacy.”

Jignesh Mevani tweeted: “Dear Hardik Patel, don’t worry. I m with you. And right to sex is a fundamental right. No one has right to breach your privacy.”

Hardik Patel’s PAAS is expected to ally with Congress against the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat polls. Hardik has played a pivotal role in the Patel quota agitation across the state of Gujarat.

Hardik Patel has said that he is satisfied with the three options provided by the Congress on how the party would grant reservation to Patels if voted to power, according to PTI reports.

He, however, said that a final call will be taken by Tuesday evening after a meeting of the community’s supreme decision making body.

Hardik Patel, after going through various documents related to reservation given by the Congress, claimed that it was a misconception that reservation cannot go beyond 50 per cent.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal had submitted the three options, backed by various provisions in the Constitution and past judgements by the Supreme Court, to the members of Hardik-led PAAS on November 8. The move was in pursuance of the party’s promise that it would grant reservation to the community if voted to power.

“I held a detailed discussion with core PAAS members about the options given to us by Congress. After going through various documents and judgements, I now firmly believe that their formula is right. It is a misconception that reservation cannot go beyond 50 per cent,” Hardik said.

He said it is not written anywhere in the Constitution that quota cannot go beyond 50 per cent. Citing some past Supreme Court judgments, Hardik said the apex court had given conflicting judgements about reservation.

“In one instance, the SC said that quota can’t go beyond 50 per cent. But, another judgement had said reservation beyond that limit can be granted by conducting a survey. Patel community in Madhya Pradesh was included under OBC quota in 1994. Similarly, Patidars in Gujarat can also get reservation,” he told reporters.

Gujarat votes on December 9 and 14; results will be declared on Dec 18th.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Rahul Gandhi says air pollution in North India a national emergency, tourism declining, global reputation crumbling

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

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Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the air pollution in North India is a national emergency that needs a collective national response and not a political blame game. The Congress leader added that due to air pollution tourism is declining and “our global reputation is crumbling”.

It is a public health crisis that is stealing children’s future and suffocating the elderly, Gandhi said, adding an environmental and economic disaster that is ruining countless lives.

“As Parliament meets in a few days, MPs will all be reminded of the crisis by our irritated eyes and sore throats. It is our responsibility to come together and discuss how India can end this crisis once and for all,” the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

The former Congress chief said the poorest “among us suffer the most”, unable to escape the toxic air surrounding them. Families are gasping for clean air, children are falling sick, and millions of lives are being cut short, he added.

The Rae Bareli MP noted that the pollution cloud covers hundreds of kilometres. He said cleaning it up will require major changes and decisive action from governments, companies, experts, and citizens.

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

Gandhi also shared a video on a social media platform where he discussed the capital’s air pollution with environmentalist expert Vimalendu Jha. In the video, the Congress leader said he has been facing eye-burning and breathing issues and how the last week in Delhi has been terrible.

He said, “I tell my mother to leave town this month.” Jha explains to Gandhi that the sources of air pollution in Delhi are episodic and perennial. Episodic sources are firecrackers and stubble burning, which affect the month of November. “Vehicular contributes 50 per cent of Delhi’s pollution and construction-related roadside dust is another 30 per cent,” Jha said.

The Air Quality Index in Delhi has been severe since November 16, making it five consecutive days till Wednesday. On November 15, the average AQI was 396 (very poor).

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Indian Navy submarine collides with fishing boat near Goa coast, 2 fishermen missing

A spokesperson from the Navy told the media that eleven crew have been rescued so far.

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Indian Navy submarine collides with fishing boat near Goa coast, 2 fishermen missing

Indian Navy officials on Friday said that an Indian fishing vessel with a crew of 13 collided with an Indian Naval submarine near the Goa coast. 

Following the incident, a massive search and rescue operation has been launched by the Indian Navy, which has deployed six ships and aircraft. Reportedly, while 11 crew have been rescued, two are still missing.

The Ministry of Defence issued a statement and said that the vessel, Marthoma, collided with a Scorpene-class submarine about 70 nautical miles off the Goa coast. It added that search and rescue efforts for the remaining two are underway and are being coordinated with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai (MRCC). It further mentioned that additional assets including from the Coast Guard have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts.

The statement said that the cause of the incident is being investigated. Notably, Scorpene-class submarines are a major part of India’s naval power in the Indian Ocean as they can undertake multifarious types of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.

Reports said that the state-of-the-art technology utilised for the construction of the Scorpene-class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. Furthermore, the attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on the surface.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy in its statement said that 13 crew members were aboard the fishing vessel at the time of the collision. It added that while 11 crew have been rescued so far, two fishermen are still reported missing.

A spokesperson from the Navy told the media that eleven crew have been rescued so far. He stated that search and rescue efforts for the remaining two crew members of Marthoma are in progress and are being coordinated with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai. Additional assets including from the Coast Guard have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts, he continued.

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10 Naxalites killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma

The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) continue their search operation in the area.

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Ten Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Friday.

The confrontation started in the morning within a forest area under the jurisdiction of the Bhejji police station, where a joint operation was being conducted by security personnel as part of an anti-Naxalite initiative, according to Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P. 

This operation was initiated following intelligence regarding the presence of Maoists connected to the Konta and Kistaram area committees, situated in the forested regions around Korajguda, Dantespuram, Nagaram, and Bhandarpadar villages.

So far, the bodies of ten Naxalites have been recovered at the scene. Additionally, a significant cache of weapons was seized, including an INSAS rifle, an AK-47, and a Self Loading Rifle (SLR). 

The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) continue their search operation in the area. This incident contributes to the year-to-date total of 207 Naxalite fatalities recorded in various clashes across the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, comprising seven districts. 

On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital, North Block. Their discussion focused on developmental progress in Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh and efforts aimed at enhancing peace and stability in these regions. 

The Chief Minister emphasised that both the state government and security forces are diligently working to eradicate Naxal influence in Chhattisgarh, aligning with the Union Home Minister’s commitment to eliminate Naxalism by 2026.

“I met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and updated him about the Naxal activities in Chhattisgarh. Over the past 11 months, close to 200 Naxals have been neutralized, and approximately 600-700 have surrendered. We are making significant strides towards the goal set by the Prime Minister and Home Minister to achieve a Naxal-free India by March 2026,” CM Sai told reporters following the meeting.

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