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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]

India News

Centre issues notice to Wikipedia on complaints of bias, inaccuracies

The government also questioned why Wikipedia should not be classified as a publisher, rather than an intermediary.

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Centre issues notice to Wikipedia on complaints of bias, inaccuracies

The Centre on Tuesday has issued a notice to Wikipedia over multiple complaints about bias and inaccuracies on the platform. The government in its letter to Wikipedia highlighted that a small group of editors appears to have significant control over the contents, particularly influencing its neutrality. 

Reports said that the government also questioned why Wikipedia should not be classified as a publisher, rather than an intermediary. However, neither Wikipedia nor the government has issued an official statement on the matter so far. 

Wikipedia, popularly known as free online encyclopedia, allows volunteers to create and edit pages on a wide variety of topics, including people, issues and various fields of knowledge. This recent development follows two months after the Delhi High Court slammed Wikipedia and also warned it of a potential ban in India during a case filed by news agency ANI, which alleged that its Wikipedia page contained inaccuracies and defamatory content. 

In the last hearing, Justice Subramonium Prasad further observed that Wikipedia might not be entitled to defend the defamatory edits since it claims to be only an intermediary. The Delhi HIgh Court also questioned if Wikipedia is an intermediary, why is it bothered? It added that if somebody else has edited and that addition is without basis, then it comes down.

It further stated that Wikipedia is not here to protect the editors but is a mere wall. The court opined that it will only see whether the opinion given in the encyclopaedia does not depict the correct picture, as not true representation of the article. However, Wikipedia clarified that it was not defending the statements or edits made on Wikipedia’s page about ANI. It further sought to assist the court in the matter, particularly with regard to the architecture of the platform. 

Notably, Wikipedia has faced growing criticism for alleged bias and inaccuracies, especially amid the ongoing US presidential elections. Elon Musk, owner of X, has publicly accused Wikipedia of supporting far-left ideologies. He also urged the public to stop donating to Wikipedia, claiming it is controlled by far-left activists.

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JMM-RJD-Congress are supporters of Bangladesh infiltrators: PM Modi at Jharkhand rally

Narendra Modi further claimed that if the bad policies of JMM, Congress and RJD continue, the adivasi society in Jharkhand will shrink

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JMM-RJD-Congress are supporters of Bangladesh infiltrators: PM Modi at Jharkhand rally

Ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly election, PM Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the incumbent Hemant Soren government, accusing it to put appeasement at the top of its agenda.

While addressing a rally in Jharkhand’s Garhwa, the Prime Minister said the coalition government of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and RJD are supporters of Bangladesh infiltrators. He said that the JMM-RJD-Congress government has taken appeasement to its peak, and that these parties are destroying the state’s social harmony. He alleged that the parties are supporters of infiltrators, and to get votes of Bangladesh infiltrators, they are getting them settled across Jharkhand.

The Prime Minister stated that when schools disallow Saraswati Vandana, one can imagine how big the danger is. When there is stone-pelting during festivals, Maa Durga is stopped and curfew is imposed, one knows how dangerous it is, he continued. The Prime Minister also added that when the issue of infiltration goes to court and the administration denies, it becomes clear that the government machinery has been infiltrated. PM Modi was referring to allegations that a Muslim teacher stopped prayers to Goddess Saraswati at a school in Jharkhand’s Giridih.

Narendra Modi further claimed that if the bad policies of JMM, Congress and RJD continue, the adivasi society in Jharkhand will shrink, and advised people to use their vote to uproot this infiltrator coalition. He maintained that Jharkhand’s swift development is possible only if it has a government that expedites the implementation of central schemes.

Referring to the JMM’s decision to replace Champai Soren as Chief Minister after Hemant Soren was granted bail in a money laundering case, PM Modi said that the party has left no stones unturned in humiliating an adivasi son. He asked how the party will take care of the people of the state when nothing matters to them more than family. He added that he does not have a family, and the people are his family. He also mentioned that Champai Soren, once a trusted lieutenant of Hemant Soren, is now with the BJP.

Slamming the ruling coalition of corruption, he said that corruption hollows out the country like termites, and destroys the poor, Dalits, people from backward classes and tribals. He claimed that Jharkhand has seen for five years the corruption of the JMM-Congress-RJD government.

He also referred to the massive cash haul from the home of Congress’s former Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu last year. Mentioning that mountains of cash are recovered from the home of Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP, he questioned if this money didn’t belong to Jharkhand.

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Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over resolution against Article 370 abrogation

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addressing the session, said that the resolution has no importance and it is only for the cameras.

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Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over resolution against Article 370 abrogation

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday witnessed chaos after People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Para moved a resolution opposing the abrogation of Article 370 and called for restoring the union territory’s special status.

Waheed Para, the PDP MLA from the Pulwama Assembly seat, submitted the resolution to newly elected Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather and requested for a discussion on the matter during the five-day session, despite not being a part of the agenda.

It was submitted that although the agenda of the House has been finalised, they believe that the authority as the Speaker allows the inclusion of the resolution, as it reflects the sentiment of the people at large. After the resolution was submitted, all 28 Jammu and Kashmir BJP MLAs stood up to oppose the move, leading to noisy scenes inside the Assembly.

As the members protested, BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma demanded Para’s suspension for bringing the resolution in violation of Assembly rules. The agitation continued even after the Speaker repeatedly requested the protesting members to take their seats. He asserted the resolution has not come to him yet and when it does, he would examine it.

While the BJP members refused to call off their protest, National Conference MLAs slammed them for interrupting the proceedings of the House. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addressing the session, said that the resolution has no importance and it is only for the cameras.

The Chief Minister added that how the House will reflect and discuss this matter will not be decided by any one member. If there was a purpose behind the resolution, then they would have discussed this with the government before, he continued.

Nonetheless, CM Abdullah also admitted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir do not approve of the decision taken on August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also said that his government will make all efforts for the restoration of full statehood. He mentioned that restoration of full statehood would be a reciprocation of the faith reposed by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in democratic institutions.

Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti expressed that she was proud of Waheed Para for submitting the resolution.

Notably, Article 370 was a provision in the Constitution that granted special autonomy to the region of Jammu and Kashmir. It also allowed the state to have its own constitution, flag, and autonomy over internal matters except defense, communications, and foreign affairs.

However, the Centre on August 5, 2019 revoked Article 370, effectively removing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and reorganising it into two Union Territories namely, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

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