Pratibha Kumari Patil
12th President of India Pratibha Patil
12th President of India
Incumbent
Assumed office  25 July 2007
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Vice President	Hamid Ansari
Preceded by	Abdul Kalam
Governor of Rajasthan
In office 08 November 2004 – 23 July 2007
Preceded by	Madan Lal Khurana
Succeeded by	Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai
Born	19 December 1934 (1934-12-19) (age 73) Nadgaon, Maharashtra, British India
Political party	INC
Spouse	Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat
Religion	Hinduism

Pratibha Devisingh Patil (Marathi: प्रतिभा देवीसिंह पाटिल) (born December 19, 1934) is the current President of India, the 12th person and first woman to hold the office. The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Manmohan Singh (ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ (born 26 September 1932 is the 17th Mohammad Hamid Ansari (born April 1, 1934) is the current Vice President of India. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (அவுல் பகீர் ஜைனுலாப்தீன் அப்துல் கலாம் born October 15 1931 Tamil Nadu Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Madan Lal Khurana (born October 15, 1936, Lyallpur (now called Faisalabad in Pakistan) is an Indian politician Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai (born July 1 1920) is an Indian politician and the current Governor of Haryana. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nadgaon is a village in Bodhwad taluka in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra state in India. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat is the husband of Pratibha Patil, the current President of India. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit This is a list of Presidents of India includes the persons sworn into the office as President of India following the adoption of the Indian constitution in 1950 This is a list of women who have been elected or appointed Head of state of their respective countries She was sworn in as President of India on July 25, 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (அவுல் பகீர் ஜைனுலாப்தீன் அப்துல் கலாம் born October 15 1931 Tamil Nadu

Patil, a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), was nominated by the ruling United Progressive Alliance and Indian Left. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. United Progressive Alliance ( UPA) is the present ruling coalition of political parties heading the Government of India. Socialism in India has a long tradition emerging from the struggle against imperialism and represents a significant part of the country's historical political heritage She won the presidential election held on July 19, 2007 defeating her nearest rival and fellow Rajput Bhairon Singh Shekhawat by over 300,000 votes. The Election Commission of India held indirect 13th presidential elections of India on 19 July 2007. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (born October 23, 1923) is a former Vice-President of India. ^[1][2][3]

A trained lawyer, Patil represented Edlabad constituency in Jalgaon District, Maharashtra as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1962-1985), and was deputy chairwoman of the Rajya Sabha (1986-1988), Member of Parliament from Amravati in the Lok Sabha (1991-1996), and the 24th, and the first woman Governor of Rajasthan (2004-2007). Muktainagar or earlier known as Edlabad is a small town situated(~21°03’08”N 76°03’18”E on National Highway No Area 11765 km² Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. The Maharashtra state assembly the Vidhan Sabha (महाराष्ट्र विधान सभा is the Bicameral legislature of the Indian The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. This article is about the city in Maharashtra. For ancient town in Andhra Pradesh, see Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, or for other meanings of the word The Lok Sabha (also titled the House of the People, by the Constitution) is the directly elected Lower house of the Parliament of India

Early life

Pratibha Patil was born to Narayan Paglu Rao in Nadgaon, Maharashtra. Nadgaon is a village in Bodhwad taluka in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra state in India. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. She studied at R. R. School at Jalgaon. Jalgaon (जळगाव is a city in western India to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan She received her M.A. from Mooljee Jaitha (M. A Master of Arts ( Latin: Magister Artium) is a Postgraduate academic Master's degree awarded by universities in a large J. ) College, Jalgaon (affiliated to North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon) and obtained a law degree from the Government Law College, Mumbai (affiliated to University of Bombay). The Government Law College, also known as GLC and located in Mumbai, India, is one of the oldest and most distinguished Law schools in India During her college days, she excelled in table tennis, winning various inter-college tournaments. ^[4] In 1962, Pratibha Patil was voted "College Queen" of M. J. College. ^[5] The same year, she won an assembly election from Edlabad constituency on the Indian National Congress ticket. Muktainagar or earlier known as Edlabad is a small town situated(~21°03’08”N 76°03’18”E on National Highway No Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India.

She married educator Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat on July 7, 1965. Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat is the husband of Pratibha Patil, the current President of India. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ^[6] The couple have a son and a daughter.

Philanthropic foundations

Together with her husband, she set up an educational institute, Vidya Bharati Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, which runs a chain of schools and colleges in Jalgaon and Mumbai. ^[7] She has also set up Shram Sadhana Trust that runs hostels for working women in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune and an engineering college [1] in Jalgaon. Shram Sadhana Trust is a trust promoted by Pratibha Patil, the nominee of ruling UPA and Indian left for 2007 President of India election ^[7] She also founded and was the chairwoman of a cooperative sugar factory known as Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana and a cooperative bank named after herself as Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank. Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana ( SMSSK) known as Sant Muktabai Cooperative Sugar Factory is a cooperative sugar factory founded by Pratibha Patil the nominee Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank ( Pratibha Women Cooperative Bank) is a cooperative bank founded by Pratibha Patil in 1973 in Jalgaon in Maharashtra with She was also involved in setting up an Industrial Training School for the visually challenged in Jalgaon and running a school for poor children of Vimukta Jatis and Nomadic tribes. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that

Political career

Pratibha Patil began her political career in 1962 at the age of 27. Under the mentorship of senior Congress leader and ex-Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan,^[8] she became a deputy minister for education after re-election in 1967 (in the Vasantrao Naik ministry). Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan ( 12 March 1913 - 25 November 1984) was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the Vasantrao Naik was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1963 until 1975 In her next terms (1972-78) she was a full cabinet minister for the state. In successive congress governments, she handled the portfolios of tourism, social welfare and housing under several chief ministers, Vasantdada Patil, Babasaheb Bhosle, S. B. Chavan and Sharad Pawar. Vasantdada Patil ( November 13, 1917 - March 1, 1989) was an Indian politician from Sangli, Maharashtra Shankarrao Bhaurao Chavan ( July 14, 1920 - February 26, 2004) was an Indian politician who served twice as Chief Minister Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar (Marathi शरदचंद्र गोविंदराव पवार (born December 12, 1940) popularly known as She was continually re-elected to the assembly, either from Jalgaon or the nearby Edlabad constituencies, until 1985, when she was elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Congress candidate. Jalgaon (जळगाव is a city in western India to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan Muktainagar or earlier known as Edlabad is a small town situated(~21°03’08”N 76°03’18”E on National Highway No The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. She has never lost an election that she has contested. ^[9]

In 1977, the Congress party split up after Indira Gandhi's defeat following the Indian Emergency (1975–1977). Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi ( Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī) ( Née: Nehru (19 November 1917 - 31 October 1984 was the Prime Minister of the See also State of Emergency in India The Indian Emergency of June 1975–21st March 1977 was a 21-month period when President Many senior leaders of state Congress(I), including Pratibha's mentor Chavan and his protege Sharad Pawar, as well as much of the rank and file joined the Congress (Urs) party floated by Devraj Urs. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar (Marathi शरदचंद्र गोविंदराव पवार (born December 12, 1940) popularly known as The Indian National Congress (Urs was a breakaway faction of the Congress (I led by D D Devaraj Urs ( Kannada: ದೇವರಾಜ ಅರಸ) (1915 -1982 dominated Karnataka politics for many years and was twice Chief Minister of However, Pratibha preferred to remain with Indira Gandhi, though it verged on inviting political ridicule. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi ( Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī) ( Née: Nehru (19 November 1917 - 31 October 1984 was the Prime Minister of the In fact, few know that Pratibha managed Indira Gandhi's kitchen when Sanjay died. ^[10] She protested the arrest of Indira Gandhi in December 1977 and spent 10 days in prison. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi ( Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī) ( Née: Nehru (19 November 1917 - 31 October 1984 was the Prime Minister of the ^[11] In 1978, when the Congress (Urs) came to power in Maharashtra, she became Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government particularly in a Westminster -based Parliamentary system

In 1980, the Congress (I) swept back into power, and her name was considered a front-runner for the Chief Minister's post. However, the post went to Sanjay Gandhi's confidant A. R. Antulay, who was soon forced to resign on corruption charges. Sanjay Gandhi ( December 14, 1946 –- June 23, 1980) was an Indian politician the younger son of Prime Minister Indira Abdul Rehman Antulay (born February 9, 1929) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Minority Affairs of India and a former Subsequently, she became a minister again in the Vasantdada Patil ministry. Vasantdada Patil ( November 13, 1917 - March 1, 1989) was an Indian politician from Sangli, Maharashtra Following differences between Patil and then Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Prabha Rau, Rajiv Gandhi appointed her as MPCC chief (1988-90).

Tenure at Centre

In 1985, Patil was elected to the Rajya Sabha, and served as its deputy chairperson from November 1986 to November 1988. The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. Her term expired in April 1990. The following year, in the elections when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated she won election 10th Lok Sabha from at Amravati constituency, her husband's city, where he had once been mayor, thus first time entering in lower house of national parliament Lok Sabha. Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze This article is about the city in Maharashtra. For ancient town in Andhra Pradesh, see Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, or for other meanings of the word

She has also served as Director of National Federation of Urban Co-operative Banks & Credit Societies and the Member of Governing Council, National Co-operative, Union of India.

Governor of Rajasthan

Pratibha Patil as Governor of Rajasthan

In November 2004, eight years after she had completed her term in the 10th Lok Sabha, Pratibha Patil was recalled from political hibernation^[9] to become the first woman Governor of Rajasthan. She was the second politician from Maharashtra in this post, the first being Vasantdada Patil. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Vasantdada Patil ( November 13, 1917 - March 1, 1989) was an Indian politician from Sangli, Maharashtra With Pratibha Patil as Governor, Rajasthan had women in three significant positions of power in the state, including Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Assembly Speaker Sumitra Singh. A Chief Minister is the elected Head of government of a sub-national (e Vasundhara Raje is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan state of India since December 2003 Sumitra Singh ( Hindi:सुमित्रा सिंह) (born 1930 is a politician from Indian state of Rajasthan. ^[12]

In April 2006, the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly passed the Rajasthan Freedom of Religion Bill 2006 (originally titled as "Rajasthan Dharma Swatantrya Bill, 2006"). The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly &mdash the Vidhan Sabha is the Unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Rajasthan. The objective of the bill was to control "unlawful conversion from one religion to another by allurement or by fraudulent means or forcibly. " However, some Christian organizations opposed the bill alleging that the bill was an outcome of the rightist policies of Sangh Parivar. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Sangh Parivar (संघ परिवार Translation: Family of Associations refers to the family of organisations built around the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ^[13][14] Pratibha Patil returned the bill unsigned, stating certain clauses in the Bill infringed on "the fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and expression, freedom of conscience and freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion. A fundamental right is a Right that has its origin in a country's Constitution or that is necessarily implied from the terms of that constitution Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. "^[15]

The Government of Rajasthan re-sent the bill to her in May 2006 noting that similar anti-conversion laws enacted by Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa over 40 years ago were upheld by the Supreme Court of India and that the head of the Constituent Assembly, Dr B R Ambedkar, while drafting Article 25 of the Constitution had said that it would be best to leave it to the state legislatures to make laws to regulate conversions. Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. The Supreme Court of India is the highest court of the land as established by Part V Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar ( Marathi:डॊभीमराव रामजी आंबेडकर ( April 14, 1891 — December 6, 1956 ^[16] After sitting on the bill for over a year she sent it to the President of India just a day before she resigned as governor of Rajasthan. The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit ^[17] A similar bill named Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2006 passed later was promptly signed by the state governor. Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2006 is a bill unanimously passed by the Himachal Pradesh Legislature on December 19 2006

Pratibha Patil resigned as the Governor of Rajasthan on June 21, 2007, due to her presidential candidacy. ^[18]

Nomination for Presidential Election 2007

Main article: Indian presidential election, 2007

On 14th June, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the ruling alliance of political parties in India headed by Congress (I), and the Indian left nominated her as their candidate for the Presidential Election to be held on 19 July 2007. The Election Commission of India held indirect 13th presidential elections of India on 19 July 2007. United Progressive Alliance ( UPA) is the present ruling coalition of political parties heading the Government of India. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Socialism in India has a long tradition emerging from the struggle against imperialism and represents a significant part of the country's historical political heritage Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[19] She emerged as a compromise candidate after the Left parties would not agree to the nomination of present Home Minister Shivraj Patil. The Home Minister, or more properly the Minister for Home Affairs, is a position in the Indian Cabinet, at both State and Union levels Shivraj Vishwanath Patil (born October 12, 1935) is the current Union Minister of Home Affairs in the Manmohan Singh government and member of At that point, Sonia Gandhi proposed Pratibha Patil's name. Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and Her loyalty to Nehru-Gandhi family was widely perceived to be a major factor in her nomination as UPA-Left Presidential candidate. The Nehru-Gandhi family (which is not in fact descended from Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi) is an Indian Political family which has been ^[20]

As a result of the potential that she would become the first female President of India, UPA Chairwoman Sonia Gandhi described her nomination as a "historic occasion" in India's 60th year of independence. The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit

Before leaving Jaipur for New Delhi, she thanked Sonia Gandhi for choosing her and said that her first job as president would be to make National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) started by UPA a success. Jaipur ( Hindi: जयपुर also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. ^[21] In Delhi she asserted that she would not be a rubber stamp president. ^[22]

Accompanied by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi she filed her nomination on 23 June which was found to be valid after scrutiny. Manmohan Singh (ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ (born 26 September 1932 is the 17th Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and She faced Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, an NDA supported candidate, in a straight contest, and visited state capitals to garner support. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (born October 23, 1923) is a former Vice-President of India. Her campaign got a major boost with decision of UNPA to abstain from voting.

The Leader of the Opposition L K Advani sought intervention of Election Commission of India to get Pratibha Patil to declare her assets,^[23] but this was rejected by the Commission. Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government particularly in a Westminster -based Parliamentary system Lal Krishna Advani (लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi लाल किशनचंद The Election Commission of India is an autonomous quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India.

Shiv Sena, an important ally of NDA, declared its support to Pratibha Patil on the grounds that she will be the first Maharashtrian to hold this prestigious post. Shiv Sena ( Devanāgarī: शिव सेना Śīv Senā, meaning Army of Shiva, referring to Shivaji Bhosle) is a Political party This decision of Shiv Sena has created trouble in BJP-Sena alliance. ^[24]

President

She won the presidential election held on July 19, 2007 defeating her nearest rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat by over 300,000 votes. The Election Commission of India held indirect 13th presidential elections of India on 19 July 2007. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (born October 23, 1923) is a former Vice-President of India. She took office as India's first female president on July 25,2007. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler

Controversies

Since her nomination as presidential candidate, numerous controversies ranging from her remarks about the purdah to her alleged belief in "divine indications" have emerged. This article is about the practice of preventing men from seeing women A day before her filing of nomination papers, Rajani Patil, the widow of the murdered congressman from Jalgaon, in a press conference in Delhi, alleged that Pratibha used her influence to shield her brother G. N. Patil in the murder of her husband. Jalgaon (जळगाव is a city in western India to the north of the Maharashtra state in Jalgaon District, which itself is located on the northern Deccan GNPatil is an Indian National Congress politician and a controversial younger brother of Pratibha Patil, current President of India ^[25] Since then various news channels and papers reported financial mismanagement in her family-controlled bank (Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank "Pratibha Women Cooperation Bank"), the revoking of its licence by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and financial irregularities in repayment of loans by the Cooperative sugar mills run by the Patil family. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक is the Central bank of India, and was established on April

These issues have surfaced from, inter alia, Rajani Patil's petition to President Abdul Kalam, her two letters addressed to Sonia Gandhi, RBI inspection reports, court notices, letters from the employees union of the bank, the minutes of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (அவுல் பகீர் ஜைனுலாப்தீன் அப்துல் கலாம் born October 15 1931 Tamil Nadu Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and The Maharashtra state assembly the Vidhan Sabha (महाराष्ट्र विधान सभा is the Bicameral legislature of the Indian Some of the allegations are results of police inquiries, court proceedings, notices from RBI and payment notice from the lenders and from show-cause and penalty notices from Excise Commissioner etc. The allegations have led to further petitions being filed in the courts for disqualifying her from contesting, which were either dismissed or are still pending hearing (See the "Legal Challenges" section).

Reacting to allegations UNPA leader Dr. Jayalalithaa asked the UPA to withdraw Pratibha Patil and is quoted to have said:

After assuming office, it is learnt that President's family members are planning to set up a 500MW Thermal Power Plant in Amravathi using her official status.

BJP's campaign

Since Pratibha Patil's nomination as a presidential candidate, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have highlighted her past activities and made comments as part of its political campaign against her. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political

BJP leader Arun Shourie authored two articles published as a booklet titled 'Does This Tainted Person Deserve to Become President of India?'. Arun Shourie (born 1941) is a prominent Indian Journalist, Author, and Politician. ^[27] Another BJP leader, Arun Jaitley, announced the launch of a website called Know Pratibha Patil, which contains various media reports and documents concerning the questionable financial dealings of both Patil and her family. Arun Jaitley (born December 28, 1952 in New Delhi) is The Election Commission of India held indirect 13th presidential elections of India on 19 July 2007. ^[28] The campaign generated a lot of media attention on Pratibha Patil as a controversial and unworthy presidential candidate.

While the BJP has been trying to build a strong public opinion against her, it clarified that it was not challenging her nomination on legal grounds. ^[29]

Legal challenges to candidature

An advocate Manohar Lal Sharma has filed a Public Interest Litigation before a bench of Supreme Court of India comprising Justice Tarun Chatterjee and Justice P K Balasubramanyan challenging her nomination for the presidential election 2007. Public Interest Litigation, in Indian law, means Litigation for the protection of Public interest. The Supreme Court of India is the highest court of the land as established by Part V Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. The advocate has referred to the various allegations against Patil and her family members and sought the cancellation of her nomination papers on the ground of her being an undischarged insolvent. The petitioner raised legal and constitutional questions on whether a person declared to be an 'undischarged insolvent', for not clearing a debt to the public exchequer and others, was eligible to be elected president. ^[30][31]

The apex court however observed that it could not act on mere allegations, and rejected the petition at the admission stage^[32] itself. The court said there was no merit in the petition as there was no document to substantiate the allegations^[33] and raised doubts about the petitioners real intention adding it was more of a "private interest litigation". ^[34] The court ruled:

The advocate then approached the Election Commission of India seeking her disqualification. The Election Commission of India is an autonomous quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. The Election Commission, through an order, replied:

Following this, the advocate again approached the court and filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before a bench comprising Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice R. V. Raveendran. He contended that the Election Commission had not applied it's mind to the matter, and sought quashing of the commission's order. ^[32]

In another case a Delhi-based NGO has also filed a petition before the Delhi High Court alleging that Patil being Managing Trustee of Mumbai-based Shram Sadhana Bombay Trust, which is under the control of state government, was holding the office of profit making her ineligible to contest the President's election. The High Court of Delhi (दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय is the High Court of Delhi. An office of profit is a term used in a number of national constitutions to refer to executive appointments ^[35] The High Court has deferred the hearing until after election.

Refutation

The leaders of Indian National Congress and Indian left say that these facts highlighted are a clever mixture of truth, half-truths and exaggerations. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Socialism in India has a long tradition emerging from the struggle against imperialism and represents a significant part of the country's historical political heritage ^[36] They have also said that these issues have never been raised in the past while she was a deputy chairwoman of the Rajya Sabha, or during her tenure as a governor. The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. They accused the BJP of launching a "malicious, unsubstantiated and deliberate" slanderous campaign just to damage her reputation. ^[37][38][39] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh defended Pratibha Patil and dismissed the charges as "mud-slinging". Manmohan Singh (ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ (born 26 September 1932 is the 17th ^[40] On Monday 2 July 2007 breaking her long silence Pratibha Patil described the allegations leveled against her as "false, malicious and baseless". ^[41]

Prominent allegations against her that have been controversial are:

Allegations of shielding her brother on a murder charge

Main article: Vishram Patil murder case

On June 22, 2007, Rajni Patil, a professor of Marathi in a Jalgaon college, and the widow of murdered Jalgaon congressman Vishram G Patil in an NDA facilitated press conference claimed that her husband was murdered by Pratibha Patil's brother G.N.Patil. Vishram Patil (V G Patil murder case gained national attention in India when the widow of the murder victim accused Pratibha Patil, the presidential nominee of Marathi (mr मराठी Marāṭhī) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of what is considered western India. GNPatil is an Indian National Congress politician and a controversial younger brother of Pratibha Patil, current President of India She accused Pratibha Patil of shielding her brother. She further said that she had written to Sonia Gandhi and President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam giving details about the allegations. Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and Copies of her memorandum to the President on this issue were distributed to the press by Mr. Sudheendra Kulkarni, an aide of Leader of the Opposition L. K. Advani. ^[42][43]

On 13 July, 2007 Rajani Patil moved the Bombay High Court demanding that the CBI "interrogate" UPA's presidential candidate Pratibha Patil and her brother in connection with the case before the presidential poll. Rajni Patil's petition stated that the CBI, which was directed by the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court to probe the case in February, must question Pratibha before July 19, the date for the presidential election because she might get "presidential immunity" if she wins the poll. History & Premises The Bombay High Court (मुंबई उच्च न्यायालय was inaugurated on August 14, 1862. ^[44]

The lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani said that two CDs have surfaced which contain incriminating material against Patil's brother. The CDs contain footage of the elections for the district Congress presidentship in Jalgaon. Jethmalani offered to place both CDs on record, saying "These contain vital information showing the political link behind the murder. " [2]

Pratibha Women Cooperative Bank

Main article: Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank

Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank, a cooperative bank set up by Pratibha Patil in 1973 in her name, to empower women, had its license revoked in 2003 by the Reserve Bank of India for alleged financial irregularities. Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank ( Pratibha Women Cooperative Bank) is a cooperative bank founded by Pratibha Patil in 1973 in Jalgaon in Maharashtra with Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank ( Pratibha Women Cooperative Bank) is a cooperative bank founded by Pratibha Patil in 1973 in Jalgaon in Maharashtra with The Reserve Bank of India (RBI भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक is the Central bank of India, and was established on April Among the reasons listed by the RBI for cancellation of the license was the faulty loan policy of the bank and loan interest waivers given, among others, to Pratibha Patil's relatives. ^[45] Pratibha Patil was one of the chairpersons of the Bank and along with a number of her relatives, was one of its directors. She is currently one of the 34 respondents in an ongoing case in the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on the subject of mismanagement of the bank and misappropriation of funds by its Managing Directors. History & Premises The Bombay High Court (मुंबई उच्च न्यायालय was inaugurated on August 14, 1862. ^[46][47]

In her defence, her supporters point out that she was not the founding president^[48] of the bank, and that she held the job of the chairwoman for only a month and eight days. ^[49] They also point out that the RBI has never mentioned Patil's name in the report,^[48] and the court has not charge-sheeted her. ^[50] Communist leader A.B. Bardhan cast doubts on the credibility of the official employees union of the bank, which has been highlighting the issue of the banks mismanagement since 2002, drawing attention to the fact that it is associated with the BMS union led by the BJP. Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan is the General secretary of the Communist Party of India, one of the oldest political parties in India. ^[50]

Sant Muktabai Cooperative Sugar Factory

Main article: Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana

A cooperative sugar factory - Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana - of which Pratibha was a founder member, was found to be a drug trafficking ring, was declared a defaulter for failing to repay a Rs 17. Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana ( SMSSK) known as Sant Muktabai Cooperative Sugar Factory is a cooperative sugar factory founded by Pratibha Patil the nominee Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana ( SMSSK) known as Sant Muktabai Cooperative Sugar Factory is a cooperative sugar factory founded by Pratibha Patil the nominee The rupee (रुपया ( code: INR) is the Currency of India. 5 crore (Rs 175 million) bank loan. ^[51] Pratibha Patil had been its chairwoman and director till she became the Governor of Rajasthan. ^[52] The loan was taken in 1994 when Pratibha was its chairwoman, but the factory has failed to repay the full amount. The bank sealed the factory on January 23, 2007 after issuing many reminders. This was the second occasion the mill had been sealed. Earlier, it was sealed in January 2006, but was reopened after the board of directors headed by G. N. Patil - younger brother of Pratibha Patil - requested for an opportunity to improve the performance of the mill. ^[53]

In 2002 the chief commissioner of central excise and customs, Pune, issued notice to the factory for evading excise duty resulting from diversion of export-oriented sugar by the factory into domestic market. Pune (ˈpuːneɪ Marathi: पुणे Hindi: पूना formerly Poona, is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra

Dubbing as "malign campaign" the allegations, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, defended Pratibha and noted that there was never any enquiry under Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act against her. He also pointed out that as many as 74 mills were issued notices in December 2006, and it was "unfortunate that only one particular case has been brought up in the media". Pawar said most of the mills had failed to repay the loans because of persistent drought affecting sugarcane production, leading these mills to go sick. ^[54]

Nevertheless in 2007, Manohar Lal Sharma, an independent advocate, filed a public interest litigation petition in the Supreme Court alleging that Mrs Pratibha Patil was an undischarged insolvent relating to the Sant Muktabai Sugar Factory and hence disqualified to remain in the ofice of the presidency. Public Interest Litigation, in Indian law, means Litigation for the protection of Public interest. [3]

Shrama Sadhna Trust

Main article: Shrama Sadhna Trust

According to the Economic Times the Shrama Sadhna Trust, a charitable trust in Mumbai of which Ms Patil is the managing trustee, is alleged to have siphoned funds totaling Rs 4. Shram Sadhana Trust is a trust promoted by Pratibha Patil, the nominee of ruling UPA and Indian left for 2007 President of India election The Economic Times, launched in 1961 is India's largest financial daily and the world's second largest financial daily after The Wall Street Journal, Shram Sadhana Trust is a trust promoted by Pratibha Patil, the nominee of ruling UPA and Indian left for 2007 President of India election 16 crore (Rs 41. 6 million) between 2001 and 2003 from an engineering polytechnic run by it in Jalgaon. ^[55]

MPLADS

As Member of Parliament from Amravati between 1991 and 1996 Pratibha Patil had diverted Rs 36 lakh (Rs 3. 6 million) from her MPLADS fund to a trust run by her husband Devisingh Shekhawat. Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS is a scheme formalated by Government of India that provides that each memebr of Parliament of India has This was in violation of Government rules which barred MPs from providing funds to organisation run by their relatives. ^[56][57]

Views on sterilisation

On 10 December 1975, when she was the Health Minister of Maharashtra, Pratibha Patil advocated in Maharashtra Assembly that people with hereditary diseases should be compulsorily sterilised. A genetic disorder is a condition caused by abnormalities in Genes or Chromosomes While some diseases such as Cancer, are due to genetic abnormalities acquired ^[58]

Purdah remarks

On June 17, 2007, Pratibha Patil made remarks on the Purdah system, while addressing a congregation of Rajputs in Udaipur:^[59]

Divine indication

Patil claims to have spoken to the spirit of the deceased leader (Baba Lekhraj^[61]) of the at their headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. Mount Abu is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan state in western India. ^[61]

"Dadiji ke shareer mein Baba aye . . . Maine unse baat ki (Baba entered Devi’s body and he communicated to me through her)," she said on TV camera. ^[62] Reporters began to report on the message she received of a "divine indication" of great responsibility coming her way. ^[63]

Patil claims to have received the mediumistic message during the last season in which the spirits they call "Bapdada" communicated with the faithful of the Brahma Kumaris sect. Mediumship is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Louisiana Voodoo, and Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University ब्रह्माकुमारी pronounced (BKWSU or Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya (Sanskrit/Hindi In the Sociology of religion a sect is generally a smaller religious or political group that has broken off from a larger group for example from a ^[61][64] She had gone to seek the blessings of Hirday Mohini, also known as Dadi Gulzar or Dadiji. ^[62][65]

Positions held

See also

• Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat
• Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank
• Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana
• Know Pratibha Patil

References

External links

• Assumption Address by Pratibha Patil, official website of the President of India.
• Official profile at the Government of Rajasthan website.
• Official biodata at the Parliament of India website. The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is the federal and supreme Legislative body of India.