Hardik urges 'displeased' Guj Dy CM to join Cong with 10 MLAs

Agencies
December 30, 2017

Ahmedabad, Dec 30: With Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel reportedly expressing displeasure over the departments allotted to him, firebrand Patidar leader- Hardik Patel urged him today to quit the BJP along with 10 party MLAs and join the Congress for a "deserving" position.

Hardik Patel said a "veteran politician" like Nitin Patel, was being "sidelined" and "not being given respect" by the BJP "despite working hard for 27 years".

The Patidar leader said if the deputy chief minister was ready to quit the BJP, then he would speak to the Congress to give the latter the post he deserved.

Days after being sworn into office, Nitin Patel is yet to take charge of the portfolios allotted to him, with a source in the BJP saying he had conveyed his displeasure to the party leadership over the departments given to him.

Talking to reporters, Hardik Patel said, "As a veteran politician, Nitinbhai (Patel) worked hard for 27 years to ensure that the (BJP) party stays in power. The community members need to understand that such politicians are being sidelined. I am not giving any suggestion, but asking him to ponder as to why he is not being given respect despite working so hard."

"I would request Nitinbhai to join us and together we will fight against the arrogant people (of BJP). We are trying to ensure that Gujarat witnesses good governance.

"If Nitinbhai makes up his mind and says he is ready to resign from the party and that 10 more MLAs are ready to tender their resignation, then we are ready to fully support him," he said.

"To ensure good governance in Gujarat, we will talk to the Congress to include Nitinbhai and give him the post he deserves," he said.

Hardik Patel also said he had messaged the deputy chief minister yesterday that he (Hardik) was with him.

"I messaged him yesterday saying I am with him and let me know if he needs me. If he says he wants to leave the BJP, then we are with you, and will stay with you in all situations," he said.

"I would request Nitinbhai to only say for the benefit of the community that it should get a reservation. We will work together for the betterment of the state," he added.

In the previous government, Nitin Patel used to handle key portfolios like finance and urban development. This time, he has been given the charge of departments like road and building and health. He has also been allotted medical education, Narmada, Kalpsar and capital project.

A source in the BJP said Nitin Patel had conveyed his displeasure to the party leadership over the departments allotted to him.

With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.

The opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.

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News Network
May 30,2020

May 30: A Delhi court on Saturday granted interim bail for 10 days to former municipal councillor from the Congress Ishrat Jahan, who has been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, to get married.

She has been booked under the anti-terror law in a case related to communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana granted the interim relief from June 10 to June 19 to Jahan on furnishing two sureties of Rs 1 lakh.

The court directed her not to tamper with any evidence or influence the witnesses in the case.

According to the interim bail plea, filed through advocates S K Sharma and Lalit Valeecha, Jahan's marriage was fixed in 2018 for June 12, 2020.

The plea further said that Jahan would not tamper with any evidence or influence the witnesses if granted bail.

The petition, also filed through advocates Tushar Anand and Manu Prabhakar, claimed that Jahan has been falsely implicated in the case.

It alleged that upon bare perusal of the contents of the FIR, no incident of violence can be attributed to her and the wild and baseless allegations made against her were not only irresponsible and false, but also caused serious harm to her reputation.

Jahan, who is also an advocate, was only a supporter of ongoing peaceful protests and it was one of the fundamental rights of the citizens to protest and register their dissent against any unreasonable measure of the government, the plea said.

Besides Jahan, Jamia Millia Islamia University students Asif Iqbal Tanha, Gulfisha Khatoon, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, Meeran Haider, president of Jamia Alumni Association Shifa-Ur-Rehman, suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, activist Khalid Safi, JNU student Natasha Narwal and former student leader Umar Khalid have also been booked under the anti-terror law in the case.

The police had claimed in the FIR that Khalid and his associates had instigated people to start riots in the area and it was a "premeditated conspiracy".

Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.

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Agencies
February 7,2020

Jammu & Kashmir, Feb 7: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, besides two political stalwarts from NC and its arch-rival PDP were booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) by the administration on Thursday, officials said.

A magistrate accompanied by police served the order to Mufti at the bungalow where she has been detained, the officials said.

Abdullah was also booked under the PSA, they said.

National Conference general secretary and former minister Ali Mohammed Sagar, who wields a support base in downtown city, was served with a PSA notice public order by the authorities.

Similarly, senior PDP leader Sartaj Madani was booked under the PSA. Madani is the maternal uncle of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Both Sagar and Madani were detained in the aftermath of August 5 crackdown by the Centre on politicians following abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state, besides its bifurcation into two union territories.

Their six-month preventive custody was ending on Thursday.

Earlier, the officials had said that former NC legislator Bashir Ahmed Veeri was also booked under the PSA but later it turned out that he had been released.

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News Network
April 24,2020

Kochi, Apr 24: The central government on Thursday submitted a statement in the Kerala High Court on the three petitions challenging the contract between Kerala government and US-based data analytics company Sprinklr.

Assistant Solicitor General P Vijayakumar filed the statement on behalf of the central government, which is the second respondent in the case.

The statement said that the contract between the Kerala government and Sprinklr dilutes the rights of the people. It stated the contract does not specify the amount of compensation that individuals should receive in case of breach of privacy or misuse of information.

It also said that it was not clear whether the information was collected and handed over to the data analytics firm with full consent of the patients (suspected and otherwise).

''It is always preferable to utilise the services available in the government sector for sharing sensitive data required for analytical purposes.

The Government of India has introduced the 'Aarogya Setu' application for collection of health data and about seven crore Indian citizens have already downloaded the same. All the state governments are advised to promote the said application for fighting the pandemic," the statement said.

It was further submitted that the "Government of India with the support of NIC is capable of providing all the requirements relating to data storage, processing and application which are being offered the third respondent, if a request to that effect comes from the state government."

Kerala Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state president K Surendran had earlier approached the Kerala High Court seeking cancellation of the state government's agreement with Sprinklr for processing of data related to COVID-19 patients.

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