Gandhinagar: Even as Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Saturday continued to sulk over not being given key portfolios in the new Council of Ministers, Patidar quota leader Hardik Patel asserted that he should leave the BJP and join the Congress party.

“I and my supporters are prepared to talk to the Congress leadership to welcome Nitin Patel in the party if he and 10 other MLAs are willing to resign and come,” Hardik Patel told reporters in Ahmedabad.

“If the BJP can’t take care of a senior leader like Nitin Patel who has spent many years in building the party, and must be respected, if they can’t, Nitin Patel should leave the party,” the firebrand leader, whose reservation movement caused a major dent in the ruling party’s electoral prospects in the just concluded assembly elections, said.

He claimed he was willing to recommend to the Congress leadership to “accommodate Nitinbhai in a senior position” in the party and that he should come with “at least 10 MLAs”.

The Patidar leader also exhorted BJP’s Patel leaders to back the Deputy Chief Minister.

“If the BJP is not respecting Patels, then they should leave the party and should accompany Nitin Patel,” Hardik Patel said.

The Deputy Chief Minister has been sulking after the key Finance, Urban Development and Petrochemicals portfolios were snatched away from him to accommodate Saurabh Patel, who was dropped in the previous Vijay Rupani government. Rupani has retained Urban Development with himself, while giving away Finance and Petrochemicals to Saurabh Patel.

Miffed over this, Nitin Patel kept away from office in the Sachivalaya in Gandhinagar on Friday while all his newly-inducted colleagues took charge. Amid speculation that he may even resign from the party, the Deputy Chief Minister did not even use his official vehicle and escort.

(IANS)

Mumbai: The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to give Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmavati” a UA certificate and has suggested the director change the film’s title to “Padmavat”.

According to a release issued by the CBFC, the board had a meeting of their examining committee on December 28 and decided to give the film a “UA certification along with some modifications and likely change of the film’s title on the basis the attributed material/creative source”.

Bhansali, who appeared before a parliamentary panel, has said his lavishly mounted Rs 150 crore period drama, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the 16th-century epic poem “Padmavat” by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

The board also suggested modifications in disclaimers, pertinently adding one regarding not glorifying the practice of “Sati” and also relevant changes in the song “Ghoomar” to befit the character portrayed, the release further stated.

The meeting took place in the presence of CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi and was also attended by regular examining committee members, along with other censor board officials.

“The film was approached with a balanced view keeping in mind both the filmmakers and the society,” the statement added.

Considering the complexities and concerns around the film, the CBFC appointed a “special panel to add perspective to the final decision of the censor board’s official committee.”

The special panel included Arvind Singh from Udaipur, Dr Chandramani Singh and professor K K Singh of the Jaipur University.

“The members of the panel had insights and also some reservations regarding the claimed historical events and socio-cultural aspects which were duly discussed at length.”

The filmmakers, Bhansali Productions, in a written communication to CBFC, had also requested that a panel of historians/academicians and members of the Rajput community view the film.

The film’s final 3D application was submitted on November 28, the CBFC said.

According to the board, the modification details and CBFC’s decision regarding this film was shared with the producers Viacom and Bhansali, who attended the feedback session post the screening and are in agreement with the changes.

The certificate as per procedure will be issued once the required modifications are carried out and the final material is submitted, the statement added.

The film got stuck in controversy after various Rajput groups claimed that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by the director.

Historians are divided on whether Padmini actually existed.

As protests spread across various states, the film’s December 1 release was deferred as it didn’t have censor clearance.

(PTI)

Tumkuru: CM Siddaramiah lashed out at Goa CM Manohar Parikkar and BJP State President BS Yedyurappa for playing politics in the Mahadayi Water dispute.

Addressing the media at Tumkuru CM said “When I had offered to go to Goa to speak with Parrikar, he asked me to come after the elections. The farmers are frustrated as BSY dint keep his words to resolve the issue within December 15,”

“In my 40 years in politics, this is the first time that one party has staged a protest against another’s office,” he said.

CM asked PM Narendra Modi to intervene into the issue and help the Karnataka farmers.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha today passed the contentious bill making instant triple illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband, a development hailed by the government as “historic”. The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.

MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the bill, calling it arbitrary in nature and a faulty proposal. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e- biddat’. It gives power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking “subsistence allowance” for herself and minor children. A victim can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form — spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp — would be illegal and void. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law. The bill is likely to sail through the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks majority, given the Congress’s stated support to the legislation.

(PTI)

New Delhi: Thousands of elderly persons whose biometrics do not match their records anymore are facing trouble in getting their pension as well as getting any other Aadhaar-linked work done, a BJP member of the Lok Sabha said on Friday.

Bihar MP from Aurangabad Sushil Kumar Singh also mentioned the fraud where LPG subsidy belonging to different people worth Rs 190 crore was transferred in the account of telecom company Airtel, and demanded criminal action against the culprits.

“Old people are unable to get pensions since last one year as their thumb prints and retina scan do not match,” Singh said.

He also said that his mother could not get a sim card in her own name due to problem in matching of fingerprints.

Mentioning the Airtel incident, he said: “It is a criminal act that someone’s money is being transferred to other accounts without permission. Though the Petroleum Ministry has taken action, but there should be criminal proceedings against the culprits.”

The MP urged the Centre to find a solution to the problem. “The government should seriously think about resolving this issue,” he said.

A large number of LPG consumers had complained about non-credit of the LPG subsidy amounts into their earlier bank accounts, and on verification, it was found that these complaints pertained to those consumers who were Airtel customers and have opened account in Airtel Payments Bank.

As per reports, Airtel has written to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) promising to return Rs 190 crore, along with interest, to the consumers’ original bank accounts that were linked to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

(IANS)

Mumbai, Dec 29 (PTI): A special NIA court, while ordering that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and other accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case will stand trial on terror charges, has said it was accepting the agency’s contention that they wanted to establish a “Hindu Rashtra” and the blast was a step towards achieving this goal.

Special Judge S D Tekale in the 130-page order, which was made available on Thursday, said there was insufficient material to charge the accused under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The court said that while the accused would not be charged under the MCOCA, they would face trial under sections 16 (committing/organizing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and sections 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (causing grievous hurt to others) of Indian Penal Code and under the Explosive Substances Act.

Of the 13 accused named by the prosecution, two are still absconding.

The court yesterday discharged three accused Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Pravin Takkalki – from all the charges levelled against them and said it was accepting the NIA’s decision to “absolve them” from the case due to insufficient evidence against them.

The court said two accused Rakesh Dhawde and Jagdish Mhatre shall be tried only under the Arms Act before courts in Pune and Thane.

“At this prima facie stage, safe conclusion can be drawn from the statement of witness number 184 that in the Bhopal meeting (where the alleged conspiracy was hatched) Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi were present.”

“There was discussion about growing Jihadi activities in Aurangabad and Malegaon and Purohit expressed his opinion to do something for its prevention by expanding Abhinav Bharat Sanghatna in the said area,” the court said.

The court said it was accepting the NIA counsel’s submission that the accused persons had made conspiracy to establish a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and the conspiracy to cause bomb blast was one step towards the objective of the accused.

The court used strong words in holding that the prime accused must remain to be charged under sections 16, and 18 of the UAPA for conspiring for and committing a terrorist activity.

“The blast took place near a mosque during the holy month of Ramzan. If the place and the timing of the blast is considered at this prima facie stage in the background of available evidence in the form of transcripts (from the conspiracy meetings), witness statements etc., it has to be said that the bomb blast was caused with the intention of threatening the unity of the public by targeting a particular community,” it said.

“The intention to take revenge against an individual is one thing, but the intention to take revenge against people belonging to a particular religion is another. The latter shows the intention to strike terror among people, or among a certain section of people,” it said.

The court observed that while his predecessor had discharged all the accused from MCOCA charges in the past, the high court, while hearing an appeal by Maharashtra government, had ordered for MCOCA charges to be reapplied.

“The high court ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court. However, the apex court in its order observed that except accused number 7 (Rakesh Dhawde) there is no material to show that the remaining accused persons had nexus with co-accused or with the crime pertaining to the Jalna and Parbhani cases,” the court said in its order.

“The apex court had said it would not like to get into the issue of applicability of MCOCA at that stage since NIA investigation was still on. However, now NIA has completed its probe and has come to the conclusion that the charges of MCOCA cannot be applied against the accused in this case,” it said.

The court noted that Dhawde was shown as an accused in the Jalna and Parbhani blast cases only after his arrest in the Malegaon blast case.

During 2003-04, when the Jalna and Parbhani blasts took place, there is no record or material to show that Abhinav Bharat was in existence or that Dhawde was even in touch with the other accused in the Malegaon blast case, it said.

“In such circumstances, it cannot be said that the accused persons including Dhawde committed the act in Parbhani and Jalna case as a member or on behalf of a crime syndicate that is Abhinav Bharat,” the court said.

“In view of all this, I hold that all accused persons are entitled to be discharged from the offences under MCOCA as there is no sufficient ground to proceed against them under the said Act,” the court said.

The court noted that in all the meetings held, prima facie it appears that Purohit was acting as a leader and chairperson of the meeting and that his superiors in the Army did not have any knowledge of this.

The court dismissed NIA’s and Sadhvi’s claims that the latter had sold her motorbike that was later used to plant the explosive device for the blast.

The court said Thakur was still shown as the registered owner of the bike and thus, despite her claims that she had sold it to someone else long before the incident, it was for the Sadhvi to prove that she had no knowledge of where the bike was.

(PTI)