Hardik Patel's sex tape surfaces online. Is it really him?
What's the story
Hardik Patel's words have come to haunt him. Days after the scion of the Patidar community prophesied that a sex tape might soon be made to defame him, one such video surfaced online on YouTube on Monday. It allegedly showed Patel in a compromising position with a woman in a hotel room. The video was subsequently taken down, but not before it went viral.
Details
Sex video a publicity stunt to defame Hardik Patel?
Patel, who is fighting to get reservation for the Patidars, has rubbished any involvement with the video and accused the BJP of stooping to petty politics to defame him. Patel was attending a Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti meeting in Gandhinagar when the 10-minute video blew up online. The video, which was reportedly shot on May 16, 2017, was made in Bangkok.
Reaction
This is election time. Such allegations will be made: Patel
Reacting to the incident, Patel said he won't be discouraged by such feeble attacks. He added that he'd press legal charges and that things would get more intense as the Gujarat polls inch closer. "This is just the beginning. This is election time. Our agitation is going strong. Winds of changes are sweeping Gujarat, and such allegations will be made," he told DNA.
Twitter Post
'More than me, this is defaming the women of Gujarat'
अब गंदी राजनीति की शुरुआत हो गई हैं।मुझे बदनाम कर लो कोई फ़र्क़ नहीं पड़ेगा,लेकिन गुजरात की महिलाओ का अपमान किया जा रहा हैं।
— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) November 13, 2017
Effect
Hardik Patel to most likely contest election as Congress candidate
Since the authenticity of the sex tape is yet to be tested, its effect on Hardik Patel's election campaign cannot be ascertained as yet. Though Patel has hinted at joining the Congress to defeat the BJP in the polls, he hasn't announced a final decision yet. The 14th Gujarat state election will be held on December 9 and 14.