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Congress lists 3 options before Patidar Andolan leaders over quota demand

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nominees of Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) hold late night talks with Congress delegation led by Kapil Sibal on reservation for Patels

With barely a month left before the first phase of polling for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the Congress party is literally burning the midnight oil to finalise its alliance with Hardik Patel’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) in a bid to secure their endorsement for its bid at power.

Late on Wednesday night, a Congress delegation led by senior party leader Kapil Sibal held talks with PAAS representatives – though Hardik Patel chose to skip the meet – to discuss their demand for carving out a reservation policy that would enable the state’s politically crucial 18 percent Patidar/Patel population to seek government jobs and seats in educational institutions under a clearly defined quota.

The meeting that began shortly after 11.30 pm on Wednesday night in Ahmedabad continued almost till 2 am on Thursday. At the end of the deliberations, PAAS leaders claimed that the Congress had laid out before them three options through which the sticky issue of carving out the reservation – beyond the existing Supreme Court mandated cap of a total of 49 per cent – can be resolved.

Hardik Patel had made it clear to the Congress leadership that an endorsement from him and the PAAS for the party’s election campaign in Gujarat will come only after the grand old party clearly lays out its plan on how it would bypass the 49 per cent cap for reservations to grant a new quota that will largely benefit the Patidar community.

“We have been given three options by the Congress party on how to provide reservation to our community in educational institutions and government jobs,” PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania said after the meeting.

Though the details of the options laid out by the Congress are being kept a secret, Bambhania said that the PAAS leaders will “discuss these with Hardik Patel, social leaders of the community, legal experts and then place them before our community.” The PAAS convener said that if any of the options listed by the Congress is found legally tenable and is also accepted by the Patidar community, then talks with the Congress over backing it in the upcoming elections will continue.

“The Congress proposal has not touched 49 per cent reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes which exists in the state. The options that have been given are over and above it,” Bambhania said, while adding that an earlier offer made by the party of carving out a quota “under the Economically Backward Class” category has been rejected by PAAS “as it is not constitutionally valid”.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal who led the talks from his party’s end expressed hope that the discussions will lead to a positive outcome soon and added: “we have discussed all the aspects and will do all the things (to provide reservation to the Patidar community) as per the Constitution.”

Another meeting between the Congress and PAAS leaders, Sibal said, would be convened over the next 2-3 days to take the talks forward.

The polling for the two-phase Gujarat elections will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.

Promising Hardik Patel and his PAAS comrades a reservation for Patidars in Gujarat will not be an easy choice for the Congress as in doing so the party risks alienating backwards castes, Dalits and adivasis who currently enjoy benefits of reservation and could see such a commitment as one that impinges on their constitutionally mandated right. This is why the Congress and even the PAAS leaders have made it clear that the Patidar reservation formula must leave the existing reservation system in the state untouched.

In Gujarat, OBCs comprise 146 castes and make up around 40 per cent of the state’s population. They have a 27 per cent quota in government jobs and education. The scheduled castes are entitled to a 7 per cent quota while the 15 per cent has been reserved for scheduled tribes. This makes a total of 49 per cent reserved seats in the state which is just under the 50 per cent reservation cap set by the Supreme Court.

The Congress has roped in OBC leader Alpesh Thakore within its ranks while popular Dalit leader from the state, Jignesh Mevani has assured Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi that he will ask his supporters to “not vote for the BJP” in the largely bi-polar state. If the Congress also manages to get Hardik’s endorsement during the upcoming election, it hopes that its 22-year-long exile from the seat of power in the BJP ruled state could come to an end.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Tax terrorism has to stop, says Congress after Income Tax Department issues fresh Rs 1,700 crore notice

The Congress has accused the BJP of squeezing it financially and of using tax authorities against it ahead of Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.

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Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the Congress’ financial woes worsened once again with the Income Tax Department issuing a fresh Rs 1,700 crore notice. The tax department issued the notice due to discrepancies in tax returns. 

The fresh notice is for assessment years 2017-18 to 2020-21 and includes penalty and interest. This comes a day after the Delhi High Court dismissed the party’s petition challenging the tax notices. 

The opposition party is already facing a funds crunch after Income Tax authorities imposed a penalty of Rs 200 crore and froze its funds. Furthermore, the party has not received any relief from the High Court in the case and is likely to approach the Supreme Court. The Congress has accused the BJP of squeezing it financially and of using tax authorities against it ahead of Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.

Addressing a press conference, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the notices are being sent to cripple the party financially. Calling the action as tax terrorism, Jairam Ramesh said that this attack on Congress has to stop.

Earlier in February, the Income Tax department had found fault in the party’s tax returns and demanded Rs 200 crore. Subsequently, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) had asked the party to pay the dues and froze their accounts. The Congress stated the tax tribunal’s order freezing its funds was an attack on democracy as the order came just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal stated that this is a deliberate attempt by the Narendra Modi-led to bankrupt the Congress ahead of elections. He mentioned that the timing of the penalty notice, following the Delhi High Court’s dismissal of Congress petitions challenging tax reassessment proceedings, reeks of political vendetta.

He underlined that while political parties are typically exempt from taxes, this penalty is allegedly due to delayed filing of returns. He asserted that it is a blatant move by the Modi government to cripple the Congress financially, especially during the elections. He further asserted that in response to the notice, the Congress plans to stage a nationwide protest, condemning BJP’s exploitation of central agencies to target opposition parties. 

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Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Tejashwi Yadav mourns demise of Mukhtar Ansari, demand probe

Akhilesh Yadav mentioned that such doubtful cases should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

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Mukhtar Ansari, gangster turned politician, who has been in jail since 2005, died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday. After Ansari’s death, his family alleged that the politician had been poisoned in the jail.  

Expressing sorrow, several opposition leaders demanded a probe into the death of Mukhtar Ansari. Notably, the gangster turned politician submitted an application in Barabanki court, alleging he was given some poisonous substance along with his food. He claimed that on March 19, his nerves and limbs started paining after he consumed the food.

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav wrote on X that a few days ago Mukhtar Ansari complained that he had been poisoned in jail, yet it was not taken seriously. He added that prima facie the move does not seem justifiable and humane. He stated that constitutional institutions should take suo motu cognizance of such strange cases and incidents.

Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party Chief, Akhilesh Yadav said that the state is going through the worst phase of government anarchy. He added that it is the responsibility and duty of the government to protect someone’s life in every situation and at every place. 

The former Chief Minister added that the death of a hostage or prisoner while being confined in the police station, in a fight inside the jail, on falling ill inside the prison, while being taken to court, while being taken to hospital or during treatment in hospital will erode public confidence in the judicial process. He mentioned that such doubtful cases should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge. He claimed that the way the government bypasses the judicial process and adopts other methods is completely illegal. 

Taking to social media platform X, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said that the persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Ansari’s family regarding his death in jail require a high-level investigation so that the facts in his death can be revealed. 

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that the people of Ghazipur lost their favourite son and brother. He added that Mukhtar Ansari had made serious allegations against the administration that he was poisoned, but the government did not pay any attention to his treatment.

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput stated that custodial deaths and firing in jail has become very common in Uttar Pradesh. He added that high level investigation should be conducted.

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Uttar Pradesh on high alert after gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari death, probe ordered on poisoned in jail charge

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar said that as a precautionary measure, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed across the state.

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Several towns in Uttar Pradesh are on high alert and security has been strengthened after jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest. His family alleged that the gangster, who has been in jail since 2005, was poisoned. 

The jailed gangster was hurried to a hospital after he fell unconscious at district jail on Thursday night. After a few hours, he was declared dead by the doctors at the Rani Durgavati Medical College. 

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar said that as a precautionary measure, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed across the state. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also been called in to assist the police. Reportedly, the CRPF units have already been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur, and Varanasi.

Additionally, the social media cell of the Uttar Pradesh Police is also on high alert to track unlawful elements that may try to spark a riot. Furthermore, a magisterial investigation into the death of Mukhtar Ansari will be carried out by a three member team, reports said.

A former five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat Muktar Ansari, had 60 criminal cases pending against him. The gangster turned politician was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of Uttar Pradesh and was lodged in the Banda jail.

Earlier, the former five-time MLA from Mau submitted an application in Barabanki court, alleging he was given some poisonous substance along with his food. He claimed that on March 19, his nerves and limbs started paining after he consumed the food.

Muktar Ansari was born into a family with deep roots in the independence struggle. His grandfather served as the Indian National Congress president in 1927. He was initially affiliated with the Bahujan Samaj Party before forming the Quami Ekta Dal (QED) after being expelled.

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