Hardik Patel granted VIP security on threat report by intelligence agencies

A 'Y' category of armed VIP security cover has been accorded by the Centre to Gujarat's Patidar leader Hardik Patel, official sources on Thursday said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been entrusted with the task of safeguarding the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader, they said.

"A contingent of armed CISF commandos will take charge of the new protectee very soon. Patel will have about eight commandos with him, whenever he travels in Gujarat," a senior official said.

He said a threat analysis report, prepared by central intelligence and security agencies, favoured granting of such a cover to Patel.

There is a potential threat to his security and hence he needs an armed cover, they said.

The CISF has a special VIP security wing and it secures around 60 dignitaries like National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The 24-year-old Patel had on Wednesday declared the support of PAAS for the Congress in the Gujarat assembly elections next month after the latter accepted its demand for reservation for the Patel community.

Elections in Gujarat will be held on December 9 and 14.
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Sex CD leak: Hardik Patel says it's BJP's 'dirty politics'

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of releasing the alleged sex CD to dent his image.

A CD of the Patidar leader has surfaced on social media, in which he can be seen with a woman in a room.

Speaking to media, Patel said that the video has been released to malign his image in the light of the upcoming elections in the state.

"This was very pathetic allegation levelled against me. I am not worried about my reputation but about the woman. This kind of politics is not expected. Gujarat women should wake up and do something against random people using videos like this. This was panned by BJP to secure around 50 seats in the election but I don't care," he said.

Coming down heavily upon the saffron party, the Patidar leader said that using women to stay in power is shameless.

"In coming days, I think people will threat women or bribe them to get indulge in such activities. I am serving for people and I don't care of such kind of politics. All I have to say is that please don't play with any women's character by using such kind of video," he added.
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Gujarat polls: Congress offers Patidar community 3 options for quota

Congress gave three options to the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) at a late night meeting here with respect to latter's quota demand for its community, even as the organisation members said they would consult their leaders and legal experts before taking a decision.

The options were conveyed to the PASS members by senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal at the meeting which took place at 11:30 PM and ended at about 2 AM.

"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.

He, however, did not divulge the details of the options.

"The options that have been given will be kept confidential till we discuss it with Hardik, social leaders of the community, legal experts and then it would be kept before our community. If the community accepts the demand, we will convey it accordingly to the Congress party," Bambhania said.

He said, "The Congress proposal has not touched 49 per cent reservations for SC, ST and OBC which exists in the state. The options that have been given are over and above it."

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Vote for BJP, save Gujarat from casteism: Modi's written message to voters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people of Gujarat to vote for the BJP in the Assembly polls embracing its development agenda, and save the state by rejecting "casteism, communalism and dynastic politics".

On the first day of the BJP's door-to-door outreach drive - Gujarat Gaurav Maha-Sampark Abhiyan - BJP workers and leaders, including its president Amit Shah, distributed copies of Modi's message-cum-appeal among people.

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In the written message addressed to the people of Gujarat, Modi urged them to remember what the state was before the BJP assumed power in 1995, and appealed to them to vote for his party to carry forward the "journey of development" that began 22 years back.

"Just compare what was Gujarat 22 years back and what it is now. Thanks to the good governance of the BJP governments, Gujarat has reached new heights of development, so much so that it is now known across the world," he said in the message.

Modi said a young person of 22-25 years cannot even imagine what Gujarat was in the past when casteism and communalism "destroyed" it.
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