‘Will work as Modi's soldier’, declares Hardik Patel, who had once said ‘will never surrender to BJP’

News Network
June 2, 2022

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Once a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Congress leader Hardik Patel, who is set to join the ruling BJP in Gujarat on Thursday, posted a tweet in the morning saying he would work as a "soldier" of PM Modi and start a "new chapter". Patel is set to join the BJP at 12 pm on Thursday.

"Today, I am going to start a new chapter keeping in mind the interest of the nation, region, society and community. I will work as a small soldier in the development work of the nation being carried out under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said in the tweet.

Elections to the 182-member House of the Gujarat Assembly are due by the end of this year.

Patel had earlier led an aggressive agitation to demand quota for the Patidar community and targeted the BJP government time and again. He was a very vocal critic of the BJP in the past. But the BJP government had slapped several cases against him, including that of sedition.

Patel, who had joined the Congress in 2019, resigned from the party recently. After that, there was speculation that he might join the ruling BJP. He had even praised the BJP's decision-making capacity and style of functioning, while severely criticising the Congress leadership.

Patel first came into the limelight in 2015 when he spearheaded the movement demanding reservation for the Patidar community in government jobs and educational institutes. Although he joined the opposition Congress in March 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha election, contesting the parliamentary election was not possible for him due to his conviction in a rioting case.

He positioned himself as a vocal critic of the BJP and kept targeting the party and its governments in the state and at the Centre for being "anti-poor, anti-farmer and anti-youth". Since he was convicted in rioting and arson cases, it affected his chances of contesting an election. However, the Supreme Court recently stayed his conviction.

Patel, who was charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 124(A) (sedition), 121 (A) (conspiracy to wage war against government) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), has been out on bail since 2016.

The BJP government has recently taken steps to withdraw several cases lodged against Patel and others related to the 2015 reservation agitation and the violence that broke out in which 10 persons, including a policeman, were killed and public properties and vehicles damaged. 

Old videos, posts surface

Netizens meanwhile questioned if it is the same Hardik Patel, who had openly made scathing attacks against the BJP, PM Modi and Amit Shah, and is now joining the same party. Meanwhile, Hardik Patel's old tweets which he made against the BJP, PM Modi and Amit Shah stand deleted.

A video is doing the rounds where he is heard saying (in Gujarati), "I am a son of a man, I will never surrender by joining BJP. We are the son of farmer. We will fight and struggle, but we will not surrender to the BJP."

Another viral video on social media platforms is from 2017. Hardik Patel is heard saying, "We just asked for our rights, what we got in return lathicharge. Our young Patidars were killed, women were assaulted. We were cheated, Patidars were cheated. Should we forget everything and join them? No. Now it is time to take revenge."

Here are some of the other videos and social media posts from the past where Hardik Patel attacked BJP and its leaders:

*Hardik Patel has attacked PM Modi several times in the past. At an interview during India Today Conclave 2018, Hardik Patel attacked PM Modi, saying, "Khul ke virodh karta hu, zara bhi chupata nahi, dum lagakar Modi ka virodh karta hu, dadagiri se virodh karta hu (Openly and without any fear I oppose Modi, I do not hide or fear).”

*In April 2019, Hardik said, "In the last 5 years Modi ji did nothing except touring country. He is 'Publicity Minister'."

*In another instance, during the time when PM Modi's ‘chowkidar’ slogan was coined, Hardik Patel had said, "I would go to Nepal to find a chowkidar or watchman but our country needs a Prime Minister."

*On June 2, Hardik Patel will be joining the BJP at state head office Kamalam in Gandhinagar. Just 5 months back, Hardik Patel said he would break the BJP's office on some issues.

*Hardik Patel had compared Amit Shah to General Dyer many times in the past. Taking a jibe at Amit Shah in 2017, Hardik Patel said, "BJP mein sahi logo ko samman nahi diya jata, lekin jo log Amit Shah ke pairo ki juti bankar rehta hai usko aage kiya jata hai (BJP doesn’t give respect to the right people, but those who follow Amit Shah are pushed forward)."

*Hardik Patel also hit out at the BJP in October 2018, saying, "Hindu Muslim ka Chashma utar kar dekho to BJP aapko bilkul nangi aur besharam nazar aayegi (If you remove the Hindu-Muslim lense, BJP will appear shameless to you)."

*He had also attacked the RSS in January 2017. "RSS desh ko apna gyan kyu baant rahi hai. Nagpur se baithe baithe desh ko chala rahe hai aisa bhram hai RSS ko. Savidhan bada ya RSS," Hardik Patel has said.

*Another viral tweet is from December 2016, where Hardik Patel had taken another jibe at the BJP, saying, "Agar subha ka deshdrohi shaam ko BJP mein jud jaye toh usse deshbhakt kehte hai (If someone who is called a traitor in the morning joins the BJP in the evening, he is called a nationalist)."

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News Network
November 5,2024

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Washington: The race between Democratic leader Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump for the White House has been truly unprecedented as it saw drama, tragedy, political comebacks, fierce rhetoric and a historically razor-tight contest.

As the fight reaches its crescendo with the big election day just a few hours away, many political observers billed the unpredictable race for the 47th President of the US as the most consequential one in decades while appearing to project a grim picture for the country’s future under a Trump presidency.

In her final days of campaign, Vice President Harris focused on a message of hope, unity, optimism and women rights whereas Trump remained fiercely combative in targeting his Democratic rival and even suggested that he may not accept the election outcome in case of a defeat.

Overall, it has been a roller-coaster ride for both 60-year-old Harris and 78-year-old Trump.

Trump received his party’s nomination in March and formally at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in July — in a historic comeback after remaining in political wilderness for months following several court cases.

In effect, he became the first former president to get the nomination for the top office on the planet after being convicted of a felony.

“Trump has made one of the biggest political comebacks since Richard Nixon’s in terms of the political struggles that he has had in the last four years,” Communication Strategist Anang Mittal said.

Just days ahead of the RNC, Trump was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania. He suffered an upper ear injury. Minutes later, a bleeding Trump raised his fist in defiance, images that drew a lot of emotional support from his die-hard supporters.

For Harris too, it has been a dramatic ride after Biden ended his re-election campaign in July, nearly weeks after he came under severe scrutiny following his incoherent performance at a televised debate with Trump.

While dropping out from the race, Biden, 81, endorsed Harris to succeed him as the Democratic candidate.

Finally in August, the Democratic National Convention formally nominated Harris as the party’s candidate for the presidential election.

The presidential election will be a chance to “move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past”, she said in a powerful speech at the Convention.

If Harris wins, she will become the first woman, first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to become the US President.

In the overall campaign, Harris has been projecting the election as the one to protect the country’s fundamental freedoms, safeguard constitutional values and ensure women’s rights.

On his part, Trump has maintained his signature aggressive rhetoric and promising to rebuild the economy and rid the US from illegal immigrants.

However, there has been strong criticism of the Republican leader’s roadmap to repair the economy.

"Donald Trump is offering a vision of crony rentier capitalism that has enticed many captains of industry and finance,” said Joseph E Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate economist, in a column in Project Syndicate.

"In catering to their wishes for more tax cuts and less regulation, he would make most Americans’ lives poorer, harder, and shorter,” he said.

With election day just a few hours away, there is no clarity on who has a better chance of winning the race.

"The elections are very close. They (the outcome) may change on the basis of a few thousands votes here or there. I think the big issue will be voter turnout tomorrow. That will determine the outcome in certain swing states,” said Executive Director of the US chapter of Observer Research Foundation Dhruva Jaishankar.

Kapil Sharma, a non-resident senior fellow at Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programmes, also echoed similar views.

“This election is probably one of the closest elections that I can remember. I have been working in Washington for over 30 years and I don’t recall an election being this tight,” he said.

More than 78 million Americans have already cast their votes as of Sunday, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab that tracks early and mail-in voting across the US.

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News Network
November 14,2024

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Bengaluru: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led union government has requested the Karnataka High Court to direct the Mandya district administration and the state government to clear a madrasa operating within the premises of the historic Jama Masjid in Srirangapatna.

The Waqf Board, opposing this move, has claimed the mosque as its property and defended the right to conduct madrasa activities there.

The matter was brought before a division bench headed by Chief Justice N V Anjaria following a public interest litigation filed by a person named Abhishek Gowda from Kabbalu village in Kanakapura taluk. The petition alleged “unauthorised madrasa activities” within the mosque.

Representing the Central government, Additional Solicitor General of India for High Court of Karnataka, K Arvind Kamath argued that the Jama Masjid was designated as a protected monument in 1951, yet unauthorised madrasa operations continue there.

He noted that concerns over potential law and order issues have so far prevented any intervention. Kamath urged the court to direct the Mandya district administration to take action and vacate the madrasa from the mosque.

In defence, lawyers for the state government and the Waqf Board contested this request, stating that the Waqf Board had been recognised as the owner of the property since 1963 and, thus, conducting madrasa activities there is lawful.

After hearing both sides, the bench adjourned the case for further arguments, scheduling the next hearing for November 20.

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News Network
November 3,2024

Mangaluru, Nov 3: Mangaluru police have apprehended two individuals connected to a major online purchasing scam, seizing assets worth ₹11.45 lakh. The suspects, Raj Kumar Meena (23) and Subhash Gurjar (27), hail from Rajasthan and are accused of fraudulently acquiring high-value electronics through deceptive orders.

Background of the Case

According to City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, the case began with a fraudulent order placed through an international e-commerce company. Using a false identity under the name "Amrith," the suspects ordered two high-end Sony cameras along with ten other items, directing the delivery to an address near the KSRTC bus stand in Mangaluru on September 21 at 4 p.m.

The Scam Unfolds

During delivery, Raj Kumar Meena received the items by providing a delivery OTP, while Subhash Gurjar reportedly distracted the delivery personnel. The suspects then executed a sticker-swapping tactic, replacing original Sony camera box labels with stickers from other items in the order to mislead the delivery team. Meena also intentionally provided an incorrect OTP, causing further confusion. The duo told the delivery agent they would collect the cameras the next day, then sent him away before cancelling the camera order.

Detection and Arrest

The unusual activity raised suspicions, and upon inspection, Amazon’s delivery partner, Mahindra Logistics, discovered the sticker swap and alerted Amazon. Subsequent investigations revealed that the suspects had taken the genuine cameras and left behind tampered boxes.

Upon deeper investigation, CCTV footage and other tracking methods led the police to identify and pursue the suspects as they attempted to flee the city. Meena was initially detained by the Salem police on October 4 for a similar scam and subsequently transferred to Urwa police custody in Mangaluru. Following his 13-day custody beginning on October 18, which included a thorough probe in both Mangaluru and Jaipur, Subhash Gurjar was apprehended on October 21.

Broader Criminal Network

The arrested individuals are allegedly part of a larger network, with involvement in at least 12 other high-profile cases. Their targets included high-end cameras, iPhones, and laptops, each costing over ₹10 lakh, with cases registered across states like Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

The seized assets, valued at ₹11.45 lakh, have been presented to the court as evidence, and investigations continue as authorities seek to dismantle this organized fraud operation.

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